Dragon Ball Next Generations
by DBDF
Summary: This takes place 200 years after Goku defeated Buu on the Kai's Planet. Now we get to follow Goku and Vegeta's long descendants: Dominick, Dalton, and Martin as they discover who they really are. (It follows the GT timeline, but I incorporated the 12 universes and gods of destruction.)
1. New Life

_Chapter I : New Life_

There was a really loud crash as the back door of the moving truck slammed shut. Dominick went and thanked the driver of the truck before he drove away. At the age of nineteen, he finally moved out of his mom's house and into a brand new house where he would be living with his girlfriend, Ichimei. His family had moved to Japan where their ancestors had lived 200 years ago after a fire destroyed their old house in America. That same fire took his father's life. He found himself reminiscing on those days when he lived in America, or at least tried to reminisce. It was hard to remember anything before the fire or really anything within a year afterwards.

"What're you thinking about?" Ichimei put her hand on Dominick shoulder, a little concerned.

Dominick turned around to face his girlfriend and his two other friends, Nagashi and Jishako, who he got to help him move into his new home. "Oh, nothing important." He said.

Since him, his brother Dalton, and his ancestor Gogito had defeated Majin Buu once and for all four years ago in Universe Six, the earth in both Universe Seven and Six had experienced a long period of peace and tranquility. Dominick looked at all the boxes full of belongings they had just unloaded into their garage, and back at his friends. He looked at the time. It read 6:24. "Hey guys, it's getting awfully late. Why don't we call it a night?" Dominick told them.

Nagashi, the tall, more calm and collected one, responded, "That's alright, I can keep going."

Jishako, the more rambunctious and immature one, blurted out, "Oh, thank god! I'm tired as hell!"

Dominick laughed at Jishako and said to Nagashi, "Seriously, dude. It's about time for dinner. Go spend time with your folks." If there was one thing Dominick would've done over in the last seven or eight years, it would've have been to spend more time with his mom. Once he started to find out about his special power as a Saiyan, he started spending more and more time training, and less and less time with his mom. Starting when he was 13, he spent seven months training at Dende's lookout, one year training on Supreme Kai's Planet after being killed in a battle with another Saiyan from Universe Six, and another five months at the lookout until Majin Buu attacked from Universe Six. Over the four years of peace, he trained to perfect his powers he had gained over the previous two years. His mother got lonely over those years. Dominick didn't involve his mother in those years out of love, but he had neglected her in the process, and the guilt would haunt him for a long time.

After Dominick and Ichimei had eaten, Ichimei went to go take a shower. While she was in the shower, Dominick heard a knock on the door. _Who the hell could it be at 7:30 at night?_ He asked himself as he got up to answer the door. He opened the door to see his little brother, Dalton on the doorstep. They looked alike. Both had blue eyes and long brown hair that hung down almost to their shoulders.

"Dalton, I'm still not used to seeing you without that weird cape," Dominick said with a tired smile.

"Shut up. It's not weird; I wore it because it was a memento from Piccolo."

"Well, why did you stop wearing it?"

Dalton's eyes darted away. "Piccolo…only exists inside of Dende now, and Buu burned it four years ago."

"I'm not going to lose any sleep over it, anyway. Do what you want, I guess." Dominick replied. "I would've kept it, or at least kept the remains."

"To each his own. I was happy to be able to talk to him again, so now I feel at peace again. There's no point of the cape anymore. It's fine." Dalton retorted. "You know the real reason I came here, right?"

Dominick laughed. "I can't spar tonight. I'll spar with you and Gogito tomorrow. I promise."

"You had better show up, then."

"Dalton, you do know fighting isn't everything. There's no point to fighting if you've got nothing to do it for." Dominick's face got serious. All of a sudden, there a stupid grin on it. "Ahh, who am I kidding? Who needs a reason to fight? It's fun as hell!"

Dalton chuckled. He was almost fooled. "See you tomorrow, then."

* * *

Martin rose from bed in a cold sweat. The time was 9:30 p.m.

"That dream again…"

They were getting more and more frequent. Dominick and Dalton had been having them for years, and they were all the same scenario.

Dominick was yelling something that no one could ever hear. Martin was being held hostage. In every dream, they could all feel Dominick and Martin's anger. It was greater than anything they had ever felt before. And it was only a dream. Next to Martin there was another person, smiling. He looked exactly like Dominick, but he had black hair. Jet black. The whites of his eyes were black. His energy was black. Next to Dominick was a dead body, a long sword stuck in his side. It was covered in blood. Dominick screamed in rage and an unheard of power was released. One they could all feel from the dream. Then, Martin released the same power, breaking from his chains. The imitation of Dominick licked his lips, and with the same sinister smile, he opened his mouth to speak. That was where the dream always ended.

He noticed the time. He had only been asleep for 30 minutes. Those 30 minutes felt like an entire night. Next to him, his girlfriend, Rika, also woke. Her black hair, parted to the side, was messy.

"What's wrong, honey?" She asked, innocently.

"Don't worry about me. I'm alright."

She put her pale hands on the brown skin on his chest and kissed him. "Go back to bed. I'm here now, so you don't have to worry about the nightmares anymore."

"Thanks Rika." He kissed her again and smiled. "I'm all better now."

That was a lie.

* * *

It was around midnight when Katsu was awoken by the opening of his front door. He got up; slowly, because it was pitch black. His long hair didn't move as he inched toward the front door. There were footsteps coming from the front door, getting louder and louder. He started to sweat more and more as the footsteps echoed even louder through the entire house. Suddenly, the lights turned on, revealing the blond streaks in Katsu's hair. The one at the door was Katsu's father.

"I didn't know you had earrings, Katsu. Are you a delinquent?"

"That's the tenth time you've forgotten about my earrings, father." Katsu replied. The air between them was tense; even more than usual.

"You didn't answer the question." His father scowled. His breath smelled of alcohol.

"Maybe I am, father. It just baffles me that you and mother's ways haven't rubbed off on me until recently. I'm well aware of the path I'm heading down."

His father raised his fist to strike him. Katsu didn't move. He didn't dare to raise his fist against his father. Not yet, at least. His father sent his to the ground with one punch.

"Go to bed. Don't you ever talk back to me again, or your punishment will be worse than just this."

Defeated and in tears, he returned to bed. The living room light was turned off, and a couple of minutes later, his parents' bedroom light was turned on. It wasn't long before the yelling started again. Tears streamed down his face. A couple of years ago, he blamed himself for the fighting between his parents. He had thought that if he believed he behaved better, his parents would get along. That wasn't the case anymore. Now it was anger towards them. With every tear, his anger grew more. It wouldn't be long until he broke. He suddenly realized what he had been thinking, and it surprised him. It surprised him that he could think such a thought about his parents. _I could kill them. It would only take a second. Put two bullets in their brains. It would be over. Just like that. I could kill them. I could kill them. I could kill them._ His tears now dripped into a small puddle on the handle of his father's pistol.


	2. Sibling Rivalry

_Chapter II: Sibling Rlvalry_

After that incident four years ago, it had gotten much worse. In Universe Six, Dominick had transformed into the great ape. During this time, he had little control over his consciousness and his actions. The evil inside him, the one from their dreams, took advantage of his weakness and almost completely took over his body. It was just in time that Ichimei jumped in and saved him. She kept him from fully losing himself.

Now, Dominick stood in front his bathroom mirror, a cold sweat dripping from his chin into the pearly white sink. Panting, he covered his left eye. He slowly brought his hand down from his face to reveal that the sclera of his left eye was black. It was the same as the dreams.

Suddenly, Ichimei opened the bathroom door. "Dom, are you okay?" Fear jumped into her face when she saw the eye. "It's… back again. This is the third time in the last month…"

That wasn't true in the slightest. The truth was that she had only seen it three times in the last month. In reality it surfaced about twice a week. "I'm fine, Ichimei." Dominick lied. "I've dealt with this crap more than a couple times." While that was true, it had never happened this often before. The black sclera had surfaced more times than in all of the times in the past 6 years combined. On top of that, it used to only happen in intense battle, and he could somewhat control it. Now, it surfaced even in normal everyday situations. The slightest release in energy could have a chance of triggering the black sclera. The first time that the evil had taken control of his consciousness was six years ago…

* * *

Just as the final round of the World Martial Arts Tournament was about to come to an end; as the fight between Dominick and Future Android 13 was coming to a close, the older brother of Cell, Molecule, finally closed in on 13's location. Molecule managed to absorb Android 13, who had the powers of Android 14 and 15 already inside him. The resulting transformation left Molecule in more powerful a state than Cell could have ever dreamed of. His power rivaled that of even Majin Buu, and Dominick was only 13 years old at the time. Dalton was 10. Just when the situation seemed like it couldn't get any worse, Molecule turned on Ichimei, who was watching the tournament. He stabbed all the way through her lower abdomen, killing her. Although Dominick was nearly unconscious, he felt the disappearance of Ichimei's life force, and immediately became blinded in a fit of rage. Molecule looked at him to see that his left eye's sclera was black.

* * *

It was 8:00 in the morning. Dominick's evil had been successfully suppressed. As he got out of a cold shower, he called out to Ichimei. "Hey Honey, I'm going out to train with Dalton and Gramps!"

She bolted to the shower. "Hey, are you sure you should go today after what happened this morning?" She looked worried until she looked down. Then she turned red.

"Ichimei, you got here way too fast." Dominick said, chuckling.

Her eyes darted away. "Just put something on already."

"About training, I'll be fine. I'll take it easy for today." Dominick told her.

After a quick bite to eat, Dominick was ready to leave. "Have a good day at work, Honey!" He called to her. Ichimei now had a full time job to help go to college in the next year. For now, she was taking a year off of school. Dominick was also able to earn money by helping out in various cases at the town's police station.

When Dominick was only eleven years old, he had first started training in a little dojo with a teacher. That teacher was Piccolo. Piccolo had already died once sacrificing himself to save Dominick and Dalton when they were fighting their very first adversary, an alien creature called Yosiyo. Then, 3 years later, Piccolo was revived with the Dragon Balls, about 5 months before Buu attacked. Dominick and Dalton still use that little dojo that they first trained in. It was located on the outskirts of West City, near the beach. It was about a three or four minute flight for Dominick at a chill pace.

Dominick was flying above the neighborhoods when he saw some police cars speeding down the road. Curious, he followed them toward their destination. Once they got to the house, Dominick found that the house looked all too familiar. It belonged to Katsu.

"What happened?" Dominick asked the officer.

"A family of three lived here. The two parents were shot and the kid is nowhere to be found. What do you think? The kid was about your age. He either was kidnapped or…He killed them."

"Well, the kid who lived here went to my high school. I'll keep an eye out for him, but to be honest, I don't think he was kidnapped." Dominick turned around. "Anyway, I have somewhere to be today. I'll see you around."

"Yeah."

Dominick flew faster than normal the rest of the way to the dojo. _Katsu…What have you done this time…?_ He thought to himself.

As usual, Dominick was the last to arrive at the dojo. Dalton, Martin, and Gogito were already waiting.

"I'm telling you, Dominick. That woman of yours is making you weaker." Dalton told him as he walked in.

"As if." Dominick retorted. "I could still take you down."

"Yeah? Even with my Dragon Mode? I could take you with both hands behind my back."

"Then do it. Right now. You and me, let's fight."

Gogito looked at Martin and Martin back at him. They both shrugged their shoulders and laughed. This brotherly rivalry had been going on for four years. They all started out into the backyard. It wasn't really a yard, though. The fencing was 10 miles by 10 miles, and the grass only lasted for the first few meters. The rest of it was all sand, like a barren wasteland.

Gogito stood in between Dominick and Dalton, who looked at each other with cold glares. Dominick's glare was more serious than usual.

"Alright, boys. You know the drill. The fencing is the boundary and the match is over as soon someone falls over." The boys nodded. "Okay, now begin!"

Dominick and Dalton quickly powered up to their strongest form: Super Saiyan 4.

"I'm impressed, boys. You can power up to Super Saiyan 4 in under two seconds now."

Dominick sneered at Dalton. "I thought you were going to kick my ass with your almighty 'Dragon Mode'? What is it with you and dragons, anyway? Do you have a weird fetish or something?"

"Do you want me to beat you now or give you an actual fight?" Dalton asked sarcastically. "I think I'll hold off on dragon form until I've had my fill." Then he disappeared.

 _Damn, Dalton's speed has increased since last time. It's not something to mess around with._ Dominick thought, scanning the area for possible attack angles that Dalton might take. "Above!" He yelled. Just in time, he dove out of the way and flipped back onto his feet. As a Super Saiyan 4, Dominick was almost a completely different person. His body was almost completely covered in red fur, save for the chest and the face. His eyes had turned yellow, and his eyelashes a deep shade of red. His hair had gotten longer, not to the point of it being as long as Super Saiyan 3, but it hung down to about the middle of his shoulder blades. It was also much darker than his hair in base form. It was almost black. On top of that, he had grown a couple inches, making him about 6'5".

Dalton looked similar; same hair color and fur color. Dalton was several inches shorter, though, and his eyes were a dark green. "Don't stop, Dominick. I'm just getting started." Dalton said, smiling.

The two launched themselves at each other with astonishing speed. Dominick was the one to go on the offensive this time around. Trying to land a blow on his brother, he sent at least five punches per second flying. Then, he caught Dalton off guard with a roundhouse kick to the right oblique. That kick sent him flying for a good 100 meters. Just when Dalton managed to stop himself, he let loose a quick energy blast as a counter attack. Dominick blocked it with a blast of the same magnitude. Then, Dominick appeared through the smoke, flying at Dalton at full speed. He was caught off guard again and Dominick landed a full force punch on Dalton's face which sent him flying another hundred meters. At this point, it was obvious for anyone who was watching to see that Dominick had the upper hand.

Gogito looked at the battlefield with a smile on his face. "Get ready, Martin." He said.

"Is Dalton…going to use the Dragon Mode?" Martin asked him.

"Yeah, just hold on. This form generates so much heat, yet it always gives me chills."

Dominick and Dalton stood still for a while, about 300 meters away from the other two.

"Remember how I said I'd take you down without any hands?" Dalton asked. "Well, I'm putting that claim into motion right now." Wind began to blow outward from him, the temperature in the area began to rise, and the ground began to quake. Dalton was morphing. He clenched his teeth, just slightly showing his gums and letting out small grunts. From about ten meters away, Dominick could barely see Dalton's canine teeth elongating, his pupils turning into slits, and his facial features sharpening.

"This is what I've been waiting for…" Dominick said to himself.

Dalton let out a yell as the fiery aura around him grew and the ground around him crumbled, creating a cloud of dust around him. Although, Dominick couldn't see through the dust, he could feel the heat from the flames emanating from Dalton's body.

Before Dominick could feel Dalton's presence move right behind him, he felt a foot planted in his lower back. Dominick went flying almost 200 meters.

"Is that it?" Dalton asked. "I didn't think it'd only take one kick."

Dominick stood up, but he was winded. "Don't be stupid. I'm not done yet."

Dalton smirked. "Then hurry it up." With his hands behind his back, his energy began to gather at his face. He opened his mouth and a light appeared in front of it and began to grow.

Dominick was surprised. _Don't tell me… He's going to release it… From his mouth..?_ The energy ball kept growing. Soon, it was about five times as big as Dalton's head. _This thing could kill me…_

Behind the energy ball, Dalton smiled. _I'd like to see you catch this one._ Dalton thought to himself. Then he released all of the energy.

Dominick reached out to stop the giant ball, but it was futile. The ball didn't even slow down. Dominick clenched his teeth and started to raise his power. _I have to put everything I have into this._ He told himself. Suddenly the ball stopped.

Gogito, who was now over 500 meters away from the battle, noticed this and was curious. "Did Dalton just stop his own attack?" He asked himself. "Has Dalton already won?" Then Gogito felt Dominick's power rapidly rising. "No, Dominick stopped the attack himself! There's no way Dominick should be able to compare to Dalton's Dragon Mode!"

"This is crazy." Martin said. "Dominick's power just keeps rising. If he keeps it up, he'll surpass me…"

With a scream, Dominick gave one last push and sent Dalton's energy ball flying into space.

Dalton was in awe. _There's no way… I put nearly all of my power into that blast… He shouldn't have had a chance…_

Dominick had successfully deflected Dalton's attack, but he was completely gassed. Within about ten seconds after the dust cleared, Dominick lost consciousness and fell to the floor. The fight was over.

Dalton threw Dominick onto his shoulder and brought him back to Gogito and Martin. Gogito looked at Dominick. _I sensed the same thing, right? The same thing I sensed when I was training with Gohan in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber… There is a massive power hiding within this kid, and I think some of it leaked out just now. But how much stronger and the kid get? It's not like there's another level of Super Saiyan above Super Saiyan 4… Right?_


	3. Too Late to Come Back

_Chapter III_ _: Too Late to Come Back_

Dominick woke up after around fifteen minutes and was given a senzu bean by Gogito. He always tried to hide the fact that he was angry over every defeat he suffered to his brother. He promised himself he would find a way to surpass Dalton.

Gogito gestured the three students over toward him. It was time for the three-on-one fight that they had every time the four trained to together. It would be Dominick, Dalton, and Martin all against Gogito by himself. Every time, none of them were any match for a Super Saiyan form of a four-person fusion. He was the result of Gogeta and Vegito from two separate timelines; one from 170 years in the past, and one from 190 years in the past.

"I want all of you to attack me at once, at full power, just like last time." Gogita said with confidence.

Dalton was the first one to power up and attack. He raised his energy higher than it was when he fought Dominick fifteen minutes earlier, and charged at Gogito. Before Gogito reacted to Dalton's movement, Dominick and Martin both powered up to Super Saiyan 4 and charged behind Dalton. Gogito dodged Dalton's initial punch with ease, but had to raise his hand to block the second one. The third one landed right on his left cheek and sent him flying, also causing Dominick and Martin to stop in order to prevent ramming into Dalton's back.

"He hasn't gone Super Saiyan yet." Dominick said right before Gogita charged back with his hair golden.

"Looks like you spoke too soon, Dominick." Martin replied right before Gogito land a punch directly onto his abdomen.

Before Dominick could even react, Gogito sent a kick flying at his face. He was barely able to get his hands in front of his face in time, but that wasn't enough to absorb the blow as the kick still sent him flying.

"Don't get distracted, boys!" Gogito said as he turned to face Dalton. "You must always be completely aware of what's going on around you!"

"Don't get distracted yourself, old man." Dalton sent another punch flying at Gogito which was again easily dodged. The old man seemingly disappeared and reappeared behind Dalton.

"I've also got at least thirty years of experience on you kids." Gogito said. "I don't get distracted easily anymore, and I know how to multitask." He kneed Dalton in the lower back. Dalton let out a sort of hybrid between a grunt and a yell as he flew about 150 meters farther away from the dojo.

Martin had recovered from his punch to the stomach and attempted to land a blow on Gogito. Either Gogito was playing around at this point or Martin had somehow become three times as fast because this time, he and Gogito exchanged several blows before Martin was once again defeated. Gogito landed a kick in Martin's side and put him out of commission.

Dominick and Dalton, somewhat fatigued, charged Gogito together this time. They both attacked him at around the same time and both of their blows were caught by one of Gogito's hands. Both of them attempted to send an energy blast at him with their free hand, but he took them by their wrists before they could, and threw them at each other, their heads hitting one another. Before they could writhe in pain, or even process what happened, Gogito sent finished the fight with an energy blast that engulfed them both and left them unconscious.

Once the teacher was certain the fight was over, he sat down where he was standing and sweat began to drip off the tip of his nose. _That was the most tiring fight they've ever given me...and it was just fifteen minutes after two of them fought each other! Dalton never even ate a senzu bean! Either I really am getting old, or these kids are rapidly catching up to me in strength…_ Gogito thought to himself. He found himself overwhelmed with pride.

* * *

It was almost noon by the time the boys had recovered and all parted ways at the front door of Piccolo's old dojo. After Gogito left to return to Dende's lookout, Dominick turned to Martin and Dalton and asked, "Do you guys remember Katsu?" The atmosphere around the three turned somber suddenly.

Dalton was the first to respond. "I've only seen him once or twice, but I've never talked to him."

Martin nodded. "I always got a bad vibe from that guy." He followed up with. "Why do you ask?"

Dominick face turned more serious. "He went missing last night. Both of his parents were found dead. I doubt that's a coincidence." It grew quiet enough to hear the honking of cars in the city almost a quarter-mile away. Dominick broke the silence. "Both his parents were alcoholics so I don't think his home life was all that great. I never liked the kid much, but I just hope he didn't snap and kill his parents in the heat of the moment. I at least wanted him to get straightened out." Death was nothing new to these boys. Dominick and Dalton's father died in a house fire when they were both very young. Dominick was five years old and Dalton was three. Martin was no stranger to death either. His best friend died when he was seventeen years old.

Dalton and Martin agreed to keep an eye out for Katsu and flew off, Dalton to catch up with Gogito and Martin home to take Rika out for lunch.

By noon, Dominick landed in front of his porch. Ichimei must have heard him land because she got to the front door before he did and almost hit him in the face with it when she opened it. "You're home early." She said, hugging him.

Dominick smiled when he felt her warmth. He loved to fight, but there was something about Ichimei that just calmed him down, and he loved that feeling just as well. "We're all done, so I figured we could have lunch, finish unloading all of our stuff, and have plenty of time to rest tonight." He told her.

"That sounds great. I'll call Jishako and Nagashi over, we can all have lunch together!" Ichimei said her face brightening up.

Dominick laughed. It had been a while since the four of them had eaten lunch together. They hadn't done so since they were all in high school. Dominick reminisced back to his high school days, the second half of which were entirely peaceful, save for a couple minor crimes that he helped out in. All of the reward money that didn't go to paying bills went to pay for Ichimei's college. Dominick did not plan to go, seeing as he would have no time in the case of another crisis. Ichimei would start college next year.

It was past three o'clock when Dominick, Ichimei, Jishako, and Nagashi finally started to unload the rest of their belongings. It would probably take upwards of three hours to get all of their things out of the truck and into Dominick's garage, so they were all prepared for a long afternoon of carrying boxes.

About an hour into their work, Dominick stopped. "Guys. I have to tell you. Katsu went missing last night. Both of his parents were found dead."

Jishako and Nagashi just looked at Dominick with straight faces. "Good." Nagashi eventually said. "I guess I don't have to deal with that shit stain anymore."

"Yeah, it's not like we really care what happens to the guy, anyway." Jishako chimed in. "He's only caused us pain and trouble."

Ichimei looked distraught. "Guys, you shouldn't say things like that. He had a really rough home life, so it wasn't his fault."

"That's no excuse, Ichimei. We all have problems at home. He didn't have to take it out on all of us like that." Nagashi retorted.

Dominick stepped in before Nagashi and Jishako got too angry. "I didn't tell you guys because I thought you cared about him. I told you because as of now, he's the prime suspect."

Nagashi and Jishako once again looked at Dominick with the same straight face. They didn't say anything this time, but Dominick knew what they were thinking: _I hope he gets caught and put away for a long time._ The atmosphere stayed heavy for another half-hour before it started to slowly lighten up over the next hour.

Just as the sun was setting at a quarter after six, Dominick noticed that there were only a few boxes left to be handled. He smiled and looked over to Ichimei, who was on the side of the truck, to tell her that they were almost done. When he turned his head, however, his lighter mood instantly turned back to what it was two hours ago. Standing across the driveway across from Ichimei on their lawn was Katsu.

Dominick walked over to confront him, and made Ichimei get behind his back. There was no telling what he would try to pull. "What the hell are you doing here, Katsu? You know the police are looking for you, right?" Dominick asked him.

"Don't try to get in my way, Dominick." Katsu replied. "It's too late for me now."

"You didn't…" Dominick scowled at him. "You killed them."

Jishako and Nagashi came rushing out of the garage when they heard the two arguing. "What's going on guys?" Nagashi said, worried. "You said he was missing, Dominick."

Katsu smiled. "I will be soon. I'm running away. There's nothing left for me here. I only came to pick up Ichimei. I'm taking her with me. She's the only one who's made me feel welcome here."

"You can't take her with you, Katsu. She lives with me now." Dominick said, putting a hand in front of Ichimei for protection. "Just leave this town and I won't report you to the police. Please, just try to get your life straightened out."

Jishako looked at Dominick, bewildered. "Why the hell are you giving him a second chance?!"

"I'm not leaving without her. I love her." Katsu said. His face grew angry.

Ichimei stepped in at this point. "I can't go with you, Katsu. I belong here, with Dominick."

"If you won't come with me, I'll have to force you to." Katsu reached into his back pocket and pulled out the gun he used to kill his parents with.

Jishako's eyes widened. "Hey, watch it!"

Katsu pointed his gun at Dominick. He knew he couldn't beat him in a fight, so he had to use other methods. Dominick saw Katsu's finger twitch at the trigger. He rushed at Katsu and grabbed his wrist, causing him to fire the gun. He heard a cry behind him. He looked to see Ichimei doubled over with blood covering her left shoulder. Overcome with rage, Dominick's left sclera turned black again. He squeezed Katsu's wrist, completely crushing it. Katsu let out a scream in pain and dropped the gun on the grass. Still blinded by rage and holding on to Katsu's wrist, Dominick used instant transmission and, visualizing the endless training room of Piccolo's old dojo, traveled there with Katsu. He let go of Katsu's wrist and Katsu immediately ran away. He didn't care where he was going, he just wanted to get away from the monster that was Dominick. But Dominick didn't let him. He was so blinded by anger that, without even thinking twice, let loose a massive energy blast that completely engulfed and incinerated Katsu. He was dead.

Dominick's black sclera wore off and he realized the harsh truth that he had just killed a scared, helpless human being.


	4. The Truth About the Fire

_Chapter IV_ _: The Truth About the Fire_

Dalton was meditating atop Dende's lookout when Dominick showed up with instant transmission. "Dalton! I need a senzu bean, quick!" Dominick yelled.

"What are you in such a hurry about?" Dalton inquired.

Dominick's face grew red. "Just give me one, now!"

"Alright, alright. Chill out." Dalton reached into the bag hanging from his belt, pulled out a bean, and tossed it to Dominick. Without saying anything, Dominick caught the bean and was gone as quickly as he arrived. _That was weird._ Dalton thought.

* * *

Nagashi had his sock over Ichimei's wound when Dominick arrived. Her eyes lit up when she saw him but she immediately winced in pain.

"Ichimei!" Dominick yelled. "Eat this, honey." She opened her mouth and Dominick put the bean in. She chewed quickly and swallowed. As her wound closed, her face and shoulders relaxed. "I'm so sorry for leaving you, honey. I'm so sorry this happened."

"What did you do to Katsu?" Ichimei asked.

Dominick thought about his answer for a while. "I took him out of the country and left him in the middle of nowhere. He won't be back here ever again." Dominick lied.

All of that had occurred in under two minutes.

Dominick told Jishako and Nagashi to head home and get some rest. It had been a long day for all of them. It may have only been two minutes of chaos, but it felt like hours. After their friends had gone home, Dominick turned to Ichime. "Hey, babe, why don't you go get in the bath and relax? I'm sure that had to have had some effect on you."

Ichime really looked shaken up. She forced a smile and said, "I'd rather not be by myself for the rest of the day." She looked down. "I hope that doesn't bother you."

"Of course not. I understand." Dominick replied. "I'm going to carry in these last few boxes, so you just take a seat, okay?" After all of the boxes were in the garage, Dominick closed the garage door and he and Ichime finally went inside.

It was a long night. As Ichime lay her head on Dominick's chest trying to fall asleep, Dominick couldn't keep his mind off Katsu's scared face moments before his death. _What have I done?_ Dominick thought. These recurring thoughts kept him up well into the morning hours, even after Ichimei eventually fell asleep at around midnight. It wasn't until around three in the morning when Dominick finally fell asleep.

* * *

 _Why are you even upset? It's what you wanted all along, right?_

When Dominick awoke he was in a black space that seemed to extend for infinity. The only thing he could see was himself hanging from a wooden cross. Well, it wasn't actually him, but a version of himself. It was the one that caused his sclera to materialize when he couldn't control himself. This black space was not new to Dominick. His first "visit" to this place was five and a half years ago, his first confrontation with his inner evil. After that, "visits" to the black space in his mind became more and more frequent, although they usually happened while he was asleep. Especially this last year, he had woke up in this space last least once every month.

"What do you want?" Dominick looked at his mirror image hanging from the cross, disgusted.

 _You wanted that kid dead, right? Why didn't you just let me take over? You always have to get in my way when I'm just trying to help you._

"Bullshit." Dominick turned around, unable to look at himself any longer. "I know you just want to take over my body."

 _Well, I won't lie. That is my goal. I just need my will to overpower yours, and I will finally have my own body._ He smiled. _The time is almost here, as well. Haven't you noticed how much more I've been able to bubble up to the surface lately? I'm getting stronger, and you're aware of it. I just need one more push, and you're mine. Just one more thing to drive your anger through the roof. Luckily for me, you're blinded by your rage fairly easily._ Dominick knew he was only trying to mess with his mind, but he still was growing anxious. _I feel my chance will come very soon…_

* * *

Dominick woke suddenly to several knocks on his front door. His encounter in the previous hours had left him more shaken up than he would have liked. He knew that this part of him was only playing mind games, but part of him knew that there would be a time when he would have to face this evil. The knocks came again, and Dominick looked over his right shoulder at the clock. It was barely past seven in the morning. _Who the hell is at my door this early in the morning?_ Dominick thought to himself. _I'll bet it's Dalton._

He was right. When he opened the door, his little brother was standing in front of him, looking up at him with a completely straight face. It was like he was completely unaware that it was so early in the morning.

"Dende wants us up at the lookout. He says he has a mission for us or something." Dalton said. His facial expression never changed as he talked.

"Okay, I guess." Dominick said, a little confused. "You go on up without me. I'll catch up."

"Okay." Dalton turned around without hesitation and flew off.

Dominick went back to his and Ichimei's room to see if she was awake yet. She wasn't. He tapped her forehead to see if she would wake up, but she stayed asleep. She had to have been exhausted from the evening before. Dominick went to leave the room, but as he stepped through the door, he remembered how Ichimei wanted him to stay with her last night. He stood in the doorway for a few seconds, and turned around to go wake her up. He didn't want to leave her alone again.

"Ichimei, wake up. Wake up, honey."

Ichimei slowly opened her eyes, as if her eyelids were two hundred pound weights. Dominick felt guilty for waking her up.

"What is it? What's going on?" She looked at the time. "It's so early."

"I have to go to the lookout today, but I didn't want to leave you alone."

Ichimei hesitated, then responded. "Is it urgent?"

"I'm not sure." Dominick replied. "I'll find out why once we get up there."

Ichimei's eyes lit up. "So I can come with you?!"

Dominick laughed. "Of course, or else I wouldn't have woken you up. You looked so peaceful sleeping there."

Ichimei blushed. "You were looking at me while I was sleeping?"

"That's a secret." Dominick said. "Let's get going."

Dominick gave his hand to Ichimei and she took it and rose out of bed. After Ichimei was done getting ready, the two left their home. Dominick looked back at his home and smiled with pride. He had grown up. His new life was just beginning.

* * *

"Dom, I think you took a wrong turn." Ichimei said. She was sitting on Dominick's back while he was flying through the air, holding his shoulders fairly tightly so she wouldn't fall off.

Dominick looked back at her, or at least attempted to. "No, I know where I'm going. Ah, I forgot to mention we're making a little pit stop at my mom's house. I feel bad since I haven't talked to her in a week after being around for four years."

Ichimei was ecstatic. "I get to see Jeannie again?!" Ichimei got to be very close to Dominick's mother in the time that Dominick was dead around five and a half years ago. They were even on a first name basis with each other. "I'm so excited!"

Within the minute, Dominick and his girlfriend were already at his mother's door. Before they could even knock, Jeannie Fiscalini opened it, and Dominick nearly fell forward.

Dominick chuckled. "Mom, how did you know we were at your door?!"

Avoiding the question, his mother hugged him like it had been years since they had seen one another's faces. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, Mom." Dominick smiled at her even though he was struggling to breathe.

Suddenly, she looked up at him with prying eyes. "So, you guys are living alone. You haven't done anything inappropriate to her, have you, Dominick?"

Ichimei turned bright red. Dominick looked back at her, maintaining his smile and shook his head a little. "What we do on our own is our choice now." He laughed a little. "Don't worry, though, you shouldn't be seeing any grandchildren popping up anytime soon. I want to get us firmly on our feet first."

Jeannie gazed upward. "I really raised you well." She turned around and started toward the kitchen.

As Dominick and Ichimei followed her, Dominick looked around at his all too familiar old home. His living room was just to the right as he walked through the front door, and it was a straight shot to the kitchen from there. About three meters after the front door, a hallway extended to his old bedroom and bathroom. To his right at this point was a pantry that stood between him and the living room. He walked another meter and he was in the kitchen. He looked to his right to see his mother stand at the sink, next to the stove.

His smile faded as he saw his mother continue to stand there, her only movement were the steady rise and fall of her shoulders. "Mom, are you okay?" He asked, but there was no answer.

He started over to her with growing concern when she suddenly turned around. "Can I tell you the truth?"

Dominick's face grew more serious by the second. "The truth about what?"

"It's something that your father and I decided to keep from you and Dalton when you two were born." She darted her eyes away from her son's, then slowly brought them back up to meet his. "Recently-well, in the last two years-I've been thinking that I have an obligation to tell you as your mother. Your father agreed with me."

Dominick's eyes widened ever so slightly, although his concealed reaction was all too easy for Ichimei and his mother to see through. "You've talked to Dad recently?"

She nodded slowly. "I have always been able to sense one's life force since I was a child, but as I grew up, I learned how to communicate with the ones that have deceased."

Dominick relaxed. "Is that really what you've been keeping from me? Why even bother? It's not like it would have changed how I looked at you."

"Well...that's only part of it. That was the easy part to tell you." It suddenly became harder for Jeannie to hold eye contact with her son than before. Ichimei, who had been quiet this whole time, looked at the two of them with worry. Dominick's mother looked at her kitchen floor. "Do you remember how your father died?"

Dominick was obviously troubled by this question. "Of course...it was a house fire, right?" Dominick's eyes seemed to be trying to pry into his mother's mind. "Right, Mom?"

"Does that really make sense to you right now?" Jeannie looked directly at him all of a sudden. "Where do you think you got your superhuman strength from? You know full well your saiyan blood comes from your father's side. Do you really think he could be killed in a fire?"

Dominick looked at his feet. "Some _one_ killed him…" His face rose to meet his mother's but she had turned the other way, not being able to face her son. "Mom, who was it?"

The house that Dominick had lived in for nearly fourteen years of his life grew too quiet, as if sound was being sucked from the surrounding area into nothingness. The three of them stood almost absolutely still, save a couple of uncomfortable squirms coming from Ichimei. Dominick's facial expression remained serious, but with a hint of worry, throughout the entirety of the silence. Then his mother broke it.

"It was you."


	5. Lending a God a Helping Hand

_Chapter V_ _: Lending a God a Helping Hand_

"Well, it wasn't _exactly_ you." Dominick's mother turned around, finally able to face her son. "It was what you and your brother call your 'black sclera form'."

Dominick was at first surprised that his mother knew about his darker self, but he figured there were a lot of things his mother had known about him all of his life. The surprise inside of Dominick morphed into anger. "It was him." His fists balled up until his knuckles were white.

Jeannie walked over to him. "Don't let your anger get the best of you." She told him.

"How can I not? I have to harbor my father's killer inside of me and there's nothing I can do to get him out of me!" Dominick gritted his teeth. "And I'm also to blame? This is too much."

Jeannie put a hand on his shoulder and told him, "You aren't to blame. As far as your father and I know, this was the first and only time that your black sclera form has completely taken over. Furthermore, we know that the power that comes out with your black sclera is almost completely different from your own, and was never there before your father died." She paused for a second. "Your father thought that this power was something completely separate from you, something that was placed in your body by force."

"But...how is that even possible?" Dominick asked, his anger not quite depleted.

Jeannie lowered her head and responded, "That was what your father was trying to figure out."

Dominick looked at his mother. "Mom, can I talk to my dad?" He tried to keep a serious face but his eyes were pleading to be able to exchange words with father.

"I wish you could." She replied solemnly. "I wish I could talk to him. I haven't been able to contact him for over a year now. I can't even sense him in the afterlife anymore. I afraid that he's gone somewhere I can never contact him again, I'm afraid he's-"

"That he's been killed in the otherworld." Dominick interjected. "If you're killed after you're already dead, your entire existence in this universe ceases."

Jeannie held back tears. Ichimei still remained quiet, but it was easy to tell she was emotionally affected by this conversation

Seeing the two of his loved ones in pain, Dominick vowed to kill the being inside him no matter the dire consequence he may have to pay.

He closed his eyes and opened them in the black world of his nightmares. In the same spot on the cross hung the dark version of himself. This was the very first time he had voluntarily went to this dream world, and was a little surprised at his ability to do so.

"Have you been listening in on my thoughts?" Dominick asked himself. There was no response. "Don't bother with an answer. I already know you have."

 _I see you're under the false impression that I'm not truly a part of you, that you can actually kill me._ The being that hung from the wooden cross hung his head, his body was limp as if he was deceased. _You have absolutely no chance of killing me. I have no intentions of making such a thing possible for you. I merely wish to take over your body from the inside._

"Tell me what you really are." Dominick demanded, not wasting any time. "Are you really a part of me or just something placed inside me as a child?"

 _You haven't realized it? My power increasing at the same rate as yours? My being able to use all of the same abilities and transformations as you? Hasn't it become obvious of these fourteen years? I am you._

* * *

Dalton arrived at the lookout around five minutes before Dominick and Ichimei arrived at Jeannie's house. Dende, Popo, Martin, and Gogito were waiting for him. Just as Dalton landed on the white tile floor of Dende's lookout, he blurted, "Everyone's here, I guess. It must have been important."

"It is." Dende replied.

Just then, Kibito Kai, the current Supreme Kai of Universe Seven appeared through his power of teleportation. He looked around nostalgically. "It's been over two hundred and fifty years since the last time I've visited this planet." As he was looking around, Dalton caught his eye. "You must be Dalton." He said. "I've heard many things about you from your brother during his time spent in Otherworld five years ago. All of them were good. He refuses to admit it, but he's proud of you."

Dalton looked down at the clouds from the lookout and let out a sarcastic chuckle. "I seriously doubt that."

The kai laughed. "Well, where is he, anyway?"

"He's late, as usual." Dalton replied with a hint of irritation. "I'm willing to bet money that _woman_ of his has something to do with that relaxed nature of his."

Kibito Kai laughed again. "I would say you're a little uptight for a sixteen year old boy." He scanned the five people standing at the top of the tower. "I see the android isn't here either?"

Martin interjected at this point. "Oh, Thirteen said he had really important business to attend to. He wouldn't tell me what it was, but he said he'd probably be really late and not to wait for him."

Kibito Kai, while being very lenient for a supreme kai, also was not going to wait around while time was wasting. "Well, we can't wait much longer, because our two guest should be arriving within the next few minutes."

"Guests?" Dalton gave the kai a confused look.

Kibito Kai raised an eyebrow at the Namekian. "You haven't told them yet, Dende?"

Dende smiled apologetically. "My bad, Supreme Kai, my bad. I never had the chance."

Dalton grew impatient. "Well, does anyone care to tell the ones who are in the dark about this whole situation here, because I might just stop wasting my time here and go train somewhere else."

"Patience, young man." The kai said, smiling at Dalton. "I will tell you, but first, you must know that you have to treat these guests with the utmost respect."

"Who are they?" Dalton demanded.

"They are the God of Destruction and Angel of Universe Eleven." The kai responded.

Martin spoke up once again. "Universe Eleven? Why would they bother coming all the way to Universe Seven?" He asked.

"Well I took the liberty of offering them some help, in order to train you guys further." Kibito Kai responded with an almost mischievous smile.

Dalton suddenly retorted, "What would we even help them with? And besides, don't they have divine powers? Why would they need _our_ help?"

Kibito looked up. "I will leave the answer to that up to the guests themselves."

As the rest of the people on the lookout followed his movement, a strong gust of wind blew down on them. From the source of that wind, a hole filled with what seemed like nothing but blackness and an infinite amount of colors at the same time forced itself open. From that hole descended two figures: The God of Destruction and the Angel of Universe Eleven.

* * *

After making his mom was okay and saying goodbye to her, Dominick and Ichimei were once again on their way. Ichimei, still clutching Dominick's shoulders looked down at the nape of his neck.

"Honey, are you okay?" She asked him.

Dominick continued to look forward. "Yeah, I'm good."

She leaned forward and rested her chin over Dominick's right shoulder. "Are you sure? Because that no doubt would have been traumatizing for any normal nineteen year old."

"Trust me." Dominick said. "I'm resting easy knowing that I know who and where my dad's killer is, and I know for a fact I will kill him."

"Can you kill someone that exists inside of you without killing yourself?" Ichimei grew worried.

Dominick avoided eye contact with his girlfriend. "At this point, that doesn't concern me."

Ichimei, tearing up at his remark, replied, "I thought you said you wouldn't leave me."

Dominick was obviously troubled by this and he swallowed. "I'll find a way. I'll always be with you. Even if I'm dead." The truth was that Dominick had no idea what to do in a situation like this. He was lost.

* * *

Dominick and Ichimei landed on the east end of Dende's lookout. Dominick knew something was up when he saw the Supreme Kai standing next to Martin and Gogito. Dalton was standing off to the left, and Dende off to the right. Across from the three in the middle were two beings that Dominick had never seen before. As his feet touched the ground, he scanned the two of them up and down and discerned right away that they weren't human. The first thing that gave it away was their pointy, elf-like ears. Then Dominick noticed that something was different about the energy they gave off. The one on the left was very tall, probably around seven feet. He had straight, sky-blue hair that draped down just past his shoulders. He had extremely sharp eyes and a defined jawline, but there was also a sense of age and wisdom to his face. He wore a pure white robe, white pants, and a light blue belt to hold it all together. He wore hoop earrings about two inches in diameter each, and had a giant halo ring behind him and to the right about six inches. The halo itself was probably two feet in diameter. His shorter counterpart, probably four inches shorter than Dominick, looked like a nervous wreck. He had long jet black hair with a portion of it tied into a ponytail that hung down about to his shoulders. He wore a white gi with a black vest over it. His figure wasn't too great and his brown eyes gave the impression of a pushover.

Dominick looked at Kibito Kai and Gogito. "Who are these guys?"

Panic flashed on all of their faces. "Dominick!" Kibito Kai yelled. "Don't address them like that. They are the God of Destruction and Angel of Universe Eleven."

Panic struck Ichimei's face as well, and without thinking, she bowed to them and said, "It's an honor to meet you both."

Dominick, realizing his mistake, did the same. "Ah. Forgive my rudeness." He lifted his head to see the tall man smiling down at him.

"Lift your heads, children." He had a surprisingly soothing voice. "You must be Dominick. I've already met your brother. Your Supreme Kai has told me a lot about you two."

Dominick stood up. "Thank you." he said with a little bit of embarrassment.

Then, the blue haired man looked down at Ichimei. "And who might you be, young lady?" He asked her with a welcoming tone.

Ichimei's face grew red. "I'm ah...Dominick's girlfriend." She put her hands behind her back as she spoke.

"I see." The blue haired man closed his eyes. "That's good that Dominick had someone to protect. It will definitely help you out in the future." Then, he opened his eyes and looked at the kai and asked, "I can tell you all the reason that we're requesting your help now, right?"

The kai nodded, but said nothing.

"So, in the past fifty years or so, it was noticed that Gods of Destruction and Angels were disappearing. After a while of this happening, their bodies eventually turned up, bloodied and mangled. They were hardly recognizable. They only had one thing in common: a wooden stake sticking out of the hearts of all the angels.

Dalton suddenly seemed interested. "How many of these bodies turned up?" He asked.

"Ten Gods of Destruction and ten Angels."

These words seemed to ring in everyone's ears. Even Gogito and Dende were surprised at this. "So...There's only two of you left."

"Yes. Before I go any further, I seem to have forgotten to introduce myself to Dominick and Ichimei." The tall man bowed to Dominick and Ichimei. He began to speak before he had fully risen. "I am Mesui, the Angel for Universe Eleven. My counterpart here is Axita, the God of Destruction for our Universe. He may not enjoy talking, but his power is nothing to be underestimated." The God of Destruction gave them a weak nod.

"So...I'm assuming you two are here to get our help in taking out the killer of your fellow Gods of Destruction and Angels?" Dalton spoke up from off to the side.

Mesui's expression suddenly became solemn. "That would be correct. The situation has become quite desperate in the last three years. Axita and I are the only two that they haven't take murdered yet.

Dominick was confused by that. "The only two? But I thought-" The answer came to him out of the blue. "You aren't saying that-"

"That's right." Mesui interrupted him. "About thirty years into their onslaught, we found out who the killer are. They are the Angel of Universe Twelve, Deis, and his God of Destruction, Shihebi.


	6. Axita's Test

_Chapter VI_ _: Axita's Test_

Everyone on the lookout stared blankly at Mesui in disbelief when they heard what he had said. Even the Supreme Kai didn't believe him.

"What did you just say?" Kibito Kai asked. He was having difficulty in just forming words in his mouth. "In all the years of my existence, never once have a God of Destruction and Angel betrayed their kin…"

"It is quite disturbing…" Mesui looked down at Kibito Kai, as if gazing through him. "...Quite disturbing indeed."

Dende stepped in and interjected, "Do you know why they might have betrayed the Gods of Destruction and Angels?"

"I don't. All of the bodies of the Angels look like they were a part of a ritual before they died. As I said before, all of the bodies of the Angels had wooden stakes in their hearts. I think that either the two of them are being ordered to kill us a certain way, or they are expecting to get something out of making these rituals." Mesui explained. "Personally, I think the Deis is the one behind it and is dragging Shihebi along for the ride, because I've known Deis for my entire life, and ever since we were kids some 700 years ago, he has always been fascinated with mortals' religions. More importantly, their darker sides and methods of sacrifice."

"So, you're saying that you think Deis is sacrificing his fellow Angels and hopes to get something in return?" Gogito asked him.

Mesui turned around to face him. "That's exactly what I'm saying." Axita turned around to face him along with Mesui, but still said nothing.

Martin stepped forward from Gogito's side. "I'm confused at how you think we could take out a guy who's been murdering _Gods of Destruction_ and _Angels._ How do you know we have what it takes?"

"Be patient, child." Mesui turned to once again face Dominick. "Step forward for me, please." He said to him.

Ichimei looked at him with concern, but he just smiled at her. "Don't worry." He told her. That was all she needed to hear.

Mesui scanned Dominick up and down. "I believe you already know what I am about to ask of you.

Dominick smirked at the Angel. "You want me to power up."

"Please." Mesui smiled back at him. "But please give it to us step by step. Axita likes to see the transformations."

"So you already know about the super saiyans." Dominick said to him.

"That's right. The saiyans are a well known race around the omniverse." Mesui replied.

Dominick closed his eyes slowly. "Alright, here we go, then. You all might want to step back. Especially Ichimei." They all got out of about a fifty meter range, except Mesui and Axita. Dominick widened his stance and clenched his fists. "Here's level one." A light wind was generated from his body as his eyes turned an aqua green color. Suddenly, his energy spiked and this wind from his body strengthened almost instantly. His hair was spiked out to both sides, but not straight up. It was glowing golden.

Axita looked up at Mesui and said in a quiet voice, to low for Dominick to hear, "I don't think this will be enough."

Mesui smiled down at his counterpart like he would his own son. "Don't worry, he not done yet." Both of them looked back at the super saiyan in front of them.

"And this is level two." Dominick clenched his fists and gritted his teeth even harder. His biceps and shoulders bulged, and he seemed to grow a couple of inches taller. At this point, the wind he was generating was so strong that Ichimei was having to grab onto one of the palm trees in Dende's garden to keep from being blown off the tower. Dominick's raw energy began to generate lightning and his hair was now standing almost vertical. Suddenly, his energy stopped growing and he relaxed his muscles.

Axita still looked unamused.

Dalton looked at his brother with a more apathetic face. "Hurry it up, I don't have all day."

Dominick either ignored his brother didn't hear him. He continued, "Level three is a little harder to do." He opened his mouth as if to yell, but little sound came out at first, only strained grunts. The lightning traveled up and down his body with increasing speed and he generated to much energy from his body that his observers could feel the heat from over fifty meters away. He let out a yell as if he had been holding back that noise his entire life. As even Mesui and Axita had to cover their eyes from the blinding intensity of light that Dominick was emitting, his hair began to grow and fall backwards. Before the divine guests knew it, everything white a blinding white from Dominick's energy.

When they were able to open their eyes again, they noticed something different about Dominick aside from his long, spiky, golden hair that fell all the way down just past his hips. It was his gaze. He looked at them with a much more calm and collected stare, one that was almost ice cold and seemed to stare straight into their divine souls. His face showed a much more confidence than before, as if that was even possible.

Axita once again looked up at his Angel. "Impressive for a mortal, but still not enough to stop Deis and Shihebi." Again, it was not loud enough for Dominick to hear.

Mesui continued looking at the super saiyan three. "I know." He replied.

Dominick smiled. It was easy to tell he was getting excited. "And this is the full power of a saiyan." He widened his stance again and his entire body tensed. This time, he let out a yell at the very beginning and continued it throughout. He generated lightning that would incinerate any normal person that was standing within twenty meters of him. One bolt of lightning traveled at lightspeed and cracked right in front of Mesui's face, not fazing the angel at all. Dominick's constant scream became even louder, and the wind generated was strong enough to where Martin had to jump behind Ichime to prevent her from falling off the floating palace. Mesui and Axita were marveled by Dominick's drastic change in appearance. He had at least twice the muscle mass he had before. His hair was shorter, but much more out of control. Most of his hair was spiked up, but lying slightly to his left. It had also reverted to its normal dark brown color from his base form. All of his skin except his neck, face, chest, and upper abdomen was covered in a deep red fur. Even his tail had become red.

Mesui and Axita went from unamused to blown away in a matter of seconds. With wide eyes, Mesui exclaimed, "His power is still rising...he can still go further?!

He could. As Dominick pushed his power to its limits, the tiles on the floor of Dende's lookout began to be ripped out of their places in between their neighboring tiles, levitating in place. The sky began to darken as Dominick's golden glow became brighter and brighter. Suddenly, the tiles all fell to their respective slots on the lookout floor and the sky returned to a normal, healthy blue.

Dominick took a minute to catch his breath and stand up straight before speaking. "I could go further if I wanted." He said.

Even Dalton looked surprised. His brother wasn't this strong when they fought just yesterday. It could have been a zenkai boost, but that was too great of a power increase to come from a zenkai boost. He closed his eyes and dismissed the thought. It didn't concern him, as his dragon form would never be surpassed by the likes of his older brother.

Axita tugged on Mesui's white robe. It seemed like a fire burned in his eyes, like an entirely new person was standing next to the Angel. "I want to fight him."

Mesui smiled and continued to look forward at Dominick. "Child, don't power down yet. If you're willing, Axita wants to spar with you."

"That should be interesting." Dominick replied. "Should we get started right away?"

Axita nodded in approval, and both of them lifted off the tiles of the lookout and into the air above. Before Dominick was too far away, Mesui called to him. "Dominick. Just to clarify, you're the weakest of the three young ones, right?"

Dominick's smile faded and he continued to fly off with the God of Destruction.

Mesui chuckled and shook his head as an old man remembering his past would. _Touchy subject, I guess._ He thought to himself. _Well, I doubt he'll be the weakest for much longer. I can sense a hidden power deep inside of him._

Dominick and Axita stood facing each other about twenty meters above the lookout. Neither of them said a word to each other. The more Dominick looked at the short God of Destruction, the more he questioned his abilities. That all changed when Axita's face became serious. As his power rose, his green and white gi rippled with the wind he created. His face was strained only a little as he powered up. It took him about a quarter of the time it took Dominick for him to reach full power, a sign that he had much more experience and mastery of his own power. Axita's appearance didn't change much with the powerup. His expression, however, was completely different. Dominick raised an eyebrow, becoming more cautious. It was as if the God of Destruction had been reborn. Axita's brown eyes now stood fixated on Dominick's yellow eyes whereas before, they seemed to never stop looking around. He was completely emerged in this battle before it had even begun.

Without warning, Axita lunged at his opponent with speed that made him seem like a green and white blur even to Dalton and Martin. Dominick barely had time to react. He saw the god's fist flying at his face with lightning speed and caught the punch just in time. Dominick's own knuckles were about an inch from his face as both he and the Axita grunted, each trying to make the other give way.

Dominick was surprised at first, but regained his cool. _He's stronger than I thought he would be._ As he slowly pushed Axita's fist away from his face, he evaluated the god's power. _I can still take him down, though. He's not even as strong as Buu was four years ago._

Once the fist was far enough from Dominick's face, he pushed it upwards, pushing himself down. He had hoped to flip under Axita and land a kick on his back, but the experienced God of Destruction saw through this attack. As Dominick moved downward, Axita drove his knee into Dominick's chin, sending him flying upwards. The god wasted no time. He quickly flew up above Dominick and with an elbow to the upper abdomen, sent him hurling back to the lookout floor.

Just before he hit the floor, Dominick stopped himself in midair. He looked at the clear blue sky, then at Axita's surprised face looking down at him. "Is this it?" He demanded.

Axita's face grew angry. Without speaking or paying any attention to his surroundings, he launched downwards at Dominick, letting loose a flurry of punches and kicks. Axita pushed him back, and Dominick led him away from their spectators. _What the hell is this guy thinking?! Do Gods of Destruction just not care about anyone?_ Dominick thought as the two of them went off the opposite side of the lookout. Instead of falling to the ground, they began to lift gradually higher as Axita attacks became more and more ferocious. At first, Dominick had let Axita push him back so they could move away from Ichimei, but now the god was landing more and more hits on him. Dominick was losing.

As their fight continued, Dominick noticed that Axita fought almost like a little kid. When he was fighting, he had a strange thrilled look in his eyes, like a child after he got his most desire gift on his birthday. He even caught the god sticking out his tongue as an extremely concentrated child would. It was like he was a child with little control over his emotions. Were all Gods of Destruction like this? Although his fighting style was childish, all of his blows were strangely calculated, like he had developed his technique over many years to resemble that of a child. Even though the punches and kicks that were landing were not all that painful, they were many, and that was slowly starting to take it's toll on Dominick.

At the thought of losing this god who was so obviously weaker than him, Dominick began to get irritated, and his attacks became more rash. He forced himself to calm down. He couldn't let four years of training go to waste because someone's _technique_ was better than his. He closed his eyes and let himself feel out Axita's energy and intentions. Axita did not seem confused as to why his opponent closed his eyes in the middle of a battle. He continued his long-lasting barrage of punches and kicks, which were no longer hitting their target. Dominick simply dodged and parried all of Axita's attacks, now much more aware of his surroundings. When Axita sent a left swing for Dominick's head, Dominick saw his chance. He ducked, the punch going right over his head, and in that same instant, Dominick lodged his fist into Axita's lower abdomen with all of his strength. The God of Destruction clutched his stomach and doubled over. His eyes bulged out of his head and his mouth hung wide open, only managing pained grunts. Before he could react, Dominick zipped around behind him and planted his foot in the god's lower back, sending him flying at a downward angle away from the lookout.

The fight most definitely would not have ended there had Mesui not stepped in and caught Axita in his arms. "That's enough." He said. "I already know who the victor would be if this fight were to continue."

Dominick let out a sigh. He was out of breath, even though he didn't want to admit it.

Mesui, Dominick, Axita flew back to the lookout where everyone was. Ichimei ran over to Dominick immediately as Dominick released the grip on his power, reverting back to his normal state. Axita winced as Mesui set him on the ground. "That's all we needed from you all today." Mesui said, his fatherly smile returning.

Dalton was puzzled. "That's it? What about Deis and Shihebi?"

"They will come." Mesui replied. "I suggest you get some rest before then, however. It will be at least a couple of days before they arrive. It takes about a week to travel to different universes, unless you rip a hole between dimensions, which is extremely difficult unless you want to rip a hole into your neighboring universe, say Universe Six or Universe Eight from our perspective. Universe Eleven is quite far away."

Dalton nodded. He said nothing, still having some doubts about these Gods of Destruction and Angels. Mesui became serious. "You will know when the time comes."

Everyone watched as Mesui took Axita by the hand and started to walk away. Dende broke the silence by asking, "Wait, your honor. Do you have somewhere else to stay? If you'd like, you can stay on the lookout with some of us."

"No thank you. Kibito Kai has already offered me a place on his world." Mesui said as the kai came out from behind the Angel. "This way I won't have to meddle in mortal affairs any more than necessary." With that, the three of them vanished to the planet of the kais.

* * *

That night, Dalton had a different dream than usual.

Instead of going forward in time, he traveled to the past. He saw a five year old Dominick standing with a man and an alien, and the alien looked familiar. Upon closer observation, Dalton realized that the familiar looking alien was Yosiyo, a being that Piccolo had defeated eight years ago. The other man was one Dalton had never seen before. He had short black hair, emotionless black eyes, and wore a black cloak that draped down to his feet. He wielded a solid gold, triple blade sword that was shaped like a trident. The three of them were standing in the backyard of the house that burned down, killing Dominick and Dalton's father. Dalton was still oblivious to the real cause of his father's death, but his ignorance would be short lived.

 _Is this..?_ Dalton thought as he attempted to walk forward but found he couldn't move. Just then, a man wearing a navy blue sweater came running from inside the house. He had brown hair, a brown beard, and blue eyes. He was tall, at about six foot three inches. His hair was about as long as Dalton's was now.

Then the cloaked man spoke. "Jason Fiscalini. We've been waiting for you."

Dalton was shocked to hear this. _This is our father?_ Because Dalton was only three years old when his father died, he had no recollection of what he looked like.

"What the hell are you doing with my son?" Jason demanded.

Yosiyo looked toward the cloaked man. "Should I kill him, master?" He inquired.

Dalton saw the cloaked man smile. "Let me."

Jason knew he wouldn't get an answer out of either of them, so he prepared to fight. He transformed into a Super Saiyan produced an energy barrier from his forearm to his fist to protect himself from his opponent's huge sword. They engaged each other with full force, or what seemed like it. After around ten seconds, Dalton was sure that the cloaked man was simply toying with Jason.

After a round of defending himself, Dalton's father finally went to strike the cloaked man with a full powered punch from his left hand. With perfect timing, the man caught his lower forearm in between two of his blades. Even with the energy barrier up, the golden blades still managed to pierce his skin. The cloaked man twisted his sword with Jason's forearm still in it. Screaming in pain, he could either keep the barrier up and allow his bone to be snappe in two or release it and have his hand severed just above the wrist. Writhing in pain, he could not think straight, but still kept up the barrier. Before he could think of what to do next, his expression dropped.

From Dalton's point of view, it seemed like time stopped. Jason let his barrier go and his hand was sliced clean off, blood splattering all over the black cloak of the mysterious man. He fell to the ground, completely limp. There was a hole about the size of a baseball in his upper abdomen, smoke rising from this fresh wound. Even Yosiyo looked surprised at this as he and Dalton both simultaneously looked at the five year old Dominick with his arm extended and smoke rising from his reddened hand.


	7. Android Thirteen's Discovery

_Chapter VII_ _: Android Thirteen's Discovery_

Dalton woke in a cold sweat. He looked around and saw it was still dark. He sat up in his bed and pressed his palms to his forehead. What was that? Dalton didn't even know what to make of that dream. Was it a dream? _Did it actually happen?_ Dalton had so many questions, and he had no way of getting answers to any of them. He climbed out of bed and quietly walked outside the palace on the lookout. It had to have been around two o'clock in the morning.

Dende came out about five minutes after Dalton. The guardian saw Dalton sitting on the edge of the lookout, meditating. _There is so much conflict in him right now…_ Dende thought. _He wonders if the path he is on right now is the correct one. I'll let him meditate on it for tonight._

As Dalton sat looking at onto the clouds below, the light from the cities barely shining through, he suddenly felt angry. _Did Dominick really kill his father? How could that even be possible? There was no way the a five year old Dominick could overpower a Super Saiyan._ But it seemed so real. In fact, there was no way it was fake. Dalton somehow knew what he saw wasn't just a dream. He couldn't explain how, but he just knew. Anger welled up inside him at this new knowledge. He was too conflicted to be able to think straight, and this would serve as a detriment in their upcoming battle. He tried to pushed his bubbling anger back down, but it wasn't working. _Have they all hidden this from me for my entire life? More importantly, was Dominick under control of the Black Sclera at the time? Did the Black Sclera even exist at the time? If he was under the Black Sclera's control, I can forgive him. But it didn't look like he was. If he wasn't...I'll never forgive him. I'll kill him myself._

Dalton's anger finally reached the surface and his energy exploded as he transformed into a Super Saiyan and flew straight upwards at high as he could go. He stopped when the atmosphere was so thin he could barely breath. He continued looking up at the sky whose stars were ten times as bright after the moon was destroyed 250 years ago. He let out an ear-piercing yell and releasing all of his pent-up energy and anger. The energy pushing outward carried wind all the way back to the surface of the Earth, which was about an eight mile trip.

Dende once again came out after hearing Dalton's scream. Once he was out of the main arch of the palace in the sky, he was blasted in the face with an intense gust of wind. Dende stood just outside of his palace and gazed up at Dalton until he stopped.

Once Dalton stopped, he dropped back down and stopped just above the floor. He sat in midair and began to meditate again. All of this was done without no speaking or hesitation, or even thinking for that matter. He instinctively cleared his mind of all thoughts, good and bad, and just hovered. He had been trained to do so by the Namekians when he was only ten years old, so at this point clearing his mind was like second nature to him. His anger had prevented him from doing so just a couple of minutes earlier.

Dende knew that Dalton could easily stay in this state for days on end, and so he went back to sleep for good that night.

* * *

It was around seven hours before Dalton's dream when Android Thirteen flew from out of the forest that split Korin's Tower and the grave site of the old Red Ribbon Army Headquarters. This old army base had been completely demolished by Goku some three hundred years ago. Even though it marked the end of the Red Ribbon Army's evil reign, one malicious scientist, Dr. Gero, somehow survived and continued his studies elsewhere. That doctor then made Android Thirteen himself, went on to make Cell, who would later nearly destroy the Earth.

Thirteen himself came from a timeline around twenty-two years in the future. In his timeline, he was attacked and almost killed by a being named Molecule. He was also made by Dr. Gero and stated to be made right before the fall of the Red Ribbon Army with the purpose of absorbing Androids Thirteen, Fourteen, and Fifteen to achieve an even greater form of greatness than his younger brother, Cell. He originally traveled twenty years into the past to escape Molecule after befriend the people who worked at Capsule Corporation, the company credited with the invention of the time machine. The Android Thirteen from a timeline twenty years in the future who traveled back to the present timeline for the same reason wasn't so lucky. He was followed to that timeline and absorbed by Molecule. Around this time in the present timeline, the familiar Android Thirteen traveled back in time once again, ending up in the present timeline. His reason for traveling this time was very different. This time, he came to warn the present thirteen year old Dominick, ten year old Dalton, and seventeen year old Martin about the upcoming threat of Majin Buu from Universe Six.

After searching endlessly for the past two days, Android Thirteen knew he had finally found his old creator's original laboratory when he stumbled upon the sorry excuse for a city that was built on top of the once oppressive army's headquarters. He had never seen the place, as his construction took place just after Dr. Gero moved to his backup lab in the mountains, where Cell was created. He smiled as his straightened out his red baseball cap. His red jacket and maroon colored shirt were slightly dirty from flying through a forest. He pulled a stick from his long silver hair and landed, starting toward the city. Thirteen was disgusted was what he saw once he was inside the city. It seemed like the government had just abandoned this city. There were massive potholes in the roads, and buildings were crumbling because no one bothered to fix them. There were good-for-nothing homeless drug-addicts everywhere, as if there weren't a civilized person in the entire city. There probably wasn't. This was pure anarchy.

The sight of these slums served to further push Thirteen's hatred for humans. He hated the race, not the individual. "Ironic." He muttered to himself. "Humans can never seem to straighten themselves out." He continued walking through the half-destroyed city with a slight grin.

As Android Thirteen neared the center of the city, he stopped walking suddenly. "I knew it, I'm close. I can feel his energy, barely." He looked behind him at the setting sun. "Dr. Gero's lab is still intact. Molecule is still alive." He continued walking, more slowly this time. "I should hurry, it's almost night." He suddenly looked to his right, and saw a hole in the ground, about the width of an average sewer inlet. It looked like it had been covered in the past, but caved eventually due to neglecting to take care of the city. "Figures." He murmured as he started toward the hole.

There was a ladder that extended probably fifty feet downward into blackness, but Thirteen chose not to take it. Instead, he jumped straight down, a decision that saved him about five minutes. It was about a five second fall to reach the bottom of the narrow hole. He found himself in a pitch black, wide open room. The only two sources of light were from the surface fifty feet above and a faint blue-green glow from off in the distance. Thirteen focused some energy in his right hand and created enough light to at least be able to see where he was going. There was broken trinkets and machines everywhere. One thing that surprised him was the amount of empty boxes scattered all around the floor, making it difficult for him to maneuver around the room without tripping. As he continued walking and stepping over boxes, the blue-green blow became stronger and stronger.

Then a door came into sight. _This is it._ He thought to himself. He walked through the door which seemed completely black. As soon as he was on the other side of the doorway, the blue-green glow became exponentially brighter, revealing a giant cylindrical tank of some fluid that gave off the color that he'd seen. A light was shining from the top of the tank, causing it to glow. Inside the tank were a multitude of wires running from different outlets on what must have been the brain of the computer, which the light also shone from, to one single being. It had to be Molecule. It had an insect shape and filled up about half the tank. As Thirteen switched off his homemade lantern, his face turning a shade of blue-green from the tank's reflection, he murmured, "Jackpot." He walked up and put his palm on the outside of the tank. "Your design really is close to that of Cell's. Little do the people of this timeline know, you're so much more dangerous than he ever was." Thirteen smiled at the giant insect looking creature in the tank. It was already almost as big as he was. "I think…you've already absorbed me in enough timelines. I don't know why Martin never destroyed you in this timeline, but I'm glad he didn't. I wanted to give you a taste of your own medicine." Thirteen made a fist suddenly and punched a hole straight through the glass of the tank. The liquid spilled everywhere, including all over his clothes, but he didn't care. He grabbed hold of Molecule and closed his eyes. Obviously at this stage in Molecule's evolution, he had a consciousness because at Thirteen's touch, the insect started thrashing violently within the confines of his tank. This did not faze Android Thirteen at all. His eyes still closed, he saw only Molecule's massive potential energy and his own. He imagined Molecule's energy as an extension of his own energy, and he saw the two energies become one. As the glass started to crack outward from the hole Thirteen created, he gripped the creature even tighter, feeling his fingers puncture its skin. Through his closed eyelids, he saw the blue-green glow turn to a normal white, then fade to blackness. When the glow was completely gone, Android Thirteen opened his eyes again. There was now only one being in the old laboratory.

* * *

Two days passed since the arrival of the of Mesui and Axita. They had not returned from the planet of the kais even once since they left with Kibito Kai that afternoon. Dalton was still meditating in the exact same position since the night before last. As he sensed Martin flying to the lookout from below, he opened his eyes for the first time in over thirty hours. He pulled himself out of his meditation state, refreshed as his mind was clear of any thoughts of the dream two nights ago. Martin flew up the side of the the upside down dome to Dalton's right.

Martin called out to Dalton from about twenty meters away. "Dalton! I figured you'd be up here." He called, running over to Dalton. Martin was the most physically fit out of the three young fighters. His arms and shoulders were extremely toned, which were exposed because he always wore tank tops. His black hair was combed back, and it could be seen that he used a little bit of gel every morning to keep it that way. He had a clean shaven, short goatee and soft, brown eyes.

"What have you been doing these last few days?" Dalton asked him.

"I've been resting." Martin replied. "We've been training hard these last few months. We could only benefit from a few days off."

Dalton shook his head. "You don't have the mind of a saiyan."

"You know that's not true. Only true fighters know that you need to let your body recover." Martin told him, frowning.

Dalton looked away defiantly. He was becoming more distant from his friends over the years. "I'm still stronger than you."

Martin smiled and shook his head. "I'm willing to fight you as long as we remain in base form. That means none of your dragon powers."

Dalton got up to walk away. He knew Martin was taunting him, and that there was no way he could beat him without the dragon form.

"I thought a saiyan never ran away from a fight?" Martin said to Dalton, obviously provoking him.

Dalton turned around. "What was that? You could never beat me. I'm so far out of your league-"

Martin started laughing. "Calm down, calm down, I was only joking." He strode over to Dalton and put a hand on his shoulder. "I was at Rika's parents' place before I came there, and her sister was there."

Dalton hesitated to respond. "What does that have to do with me?" He demanded.

"She wanted to know why you're not going to school." Martin told him. "So why aren't you?"

Dalton looked away. "School serves me no purpose. I see no reason that I should have to attend."

"You're still a kid." Martin replied. "You should at least get the equivalent of a high school education. What will you do if there's another long period of peace, and all of your fighting ability is put to waste?"

"I'm perfectly content staying up here at the lookout." Dalton retorted.

Martin shook his head. "Is Dende? What if he kicks you out?" Martin walked around to the other side of Dalton. "I know you're lonely up here. Even I know, as someone who has no skills other than being strong, that you are alone. It's that obvious. And here you have a girl who cares about you so much that she's still asking about you even after you being absent for who knows how long...and you still can't even go to fucking school?"

Dalton looked at Martin. "Get out of my face. I only care about bettering myself."

Martin had to stare into Dalton's eyes for a couple seconds before what he'd just said sunk in. "Unbelievable." He said as he walked off into Dende's palace.

 _Sakumi...she's someone I haven't even seen since our fight with Buu four years ago._ Dalton thought to himself. He looked back at Martin who was now walking up the steps into the palace. _Does she really care about me that much? It sure didn't seem like it four years ago…_ Dalton looked back over the edge of the lookout onto the city below. It was a completely clear day, so he could see all the way down. _There's been too much on my mind lately. Maybe Martin was right. I might be lonely up here, but I still don't need to go to school. I at least owe Sakumi a visit after four years._ He had made up his mind. It was a thursday, so school would be in session. That's where Sakumi would be. Without looking back, Dalton jumped off the side of the palace above the clouds.

It was about a ten minute flight to the school. Dalton was first going to fly toward the school he had once attended four years ago, but realized it was unlikely that Sakumi attended that school anymore. She was fifteen or sixteen, which meant she was definitely a high school student. Dalton was sixteen and would be seventeen in January which was only two months away. He was once year ahead of Sakumi in school. Since the town they lived in was small, there was only one high school and it was relatively easy to find. Before he knew it, he was standing outside of the high school of the only only girl who had shown him any affection through his teenage years. _Why the hell am I doing this?_ He thought to himself as he froze outside the gates of the high school he had never attended. He had come without a plan.

Just then, a girl with a ponytail looked outside the window of her class on the second story of the fairly large school building, and saw a boy wearing all black except for a light blue martial arts style belt and a brown sash holding what looked like a black and red sword. She jumped at the sight of him and quickly asked herself to be excused to the bathroom. Two minutes later, Dalton saw the girl running out of the front door of the school.

"Dalton?" She called. "Dalton, it is you!"

Dalton was surprised at this. "Sakumi. You're a lot...older than I remember. A lot less shy, too.

She laughed at this. "Well, obviously, you dummy. What are you doing here?"

Dalton didn't respond, he couldn't. His mind was freezing up, and he didn't know why.

Sakumi continued. "I thought you were cool back when we were in junior high, but now that we're older, you're just plain handsome. I can see you as a man now instead of a superhero." She was so straightforward.

At last, Dalton finally formed a response. "I...I wanted to apologize. I was absent for four years without telling you where I went. I wanted to make sure you…" What was he going to say? He forgot. Apparently, a lot was still clouding his judgement. He took a step back. "Well...sorry for bothering you. I'm glad you're doing well." He said to her with a forced smile as he levitated off the ground and blasted off back toward Dende's lookout.

"Hey, wait-" She started to call, but it was too late. Sakumi stood dazed just behind the gates of her high school as she watched the boy in black fly away. She felt confused, but happy.


	8. New Resolve

Chapter VIII: New Resolve

Martin woke earlier than usual. It had been five days since the arrival of Mesui and Axita. He looked around, still dazed and half asleep. It's so early, why the hell am I up? He thought to himself as he put the palm of his hand on his forehead. He looked up at his little alarm clock in the corner of his dark room, and the time read 5:41 a.m. He looked over to his left at Rika, still sleeping like a baby. Something felt off about this day. But what? He rolled over onto his side to face Rika. He caressed her sleeping face with his dark fingers. He had known her since his first year of highschool, and always had a crush on her from that day they met of the first day of school, but had only watched her from the shadows until after they graduated high school, after their final fight with Buu. He loved her. Every day they were together after Buu was defeated, he grew more and more madly in love with her. However, with his love, grew his insecurities. Knowing how much he loved her and not know if her love for him carried the same magnitude weighed on him. It still weighed on him even up to this day.

"Let's try not to think about that right now." He thought to himself. He looked back at Rika's face to see her pretty blue eyes looking up at him with concern.

"Is everything alright?" She asked him.

"Yeah, it's nothing." He replied.

She gave him a warm smile, one that he could hardly see in the dark. "I know when you're lying." She extended her arms out to him. "Let me hold you for a while."

Just then, all his worries went away. With his face buried deep within the warmth of her chest, he could just feel the stress melting away. He knew.

"Rika." He kept his head buried in her chest. "Marry me."

There was no answer. Martin grew worried, so he poked his head out. Rika was crying. She nodded her head.

Martin sat up and caressed her cheek once more. "Hey, don't cry. It's a happy moment, right?"

Through tears, she managed, "I'm not crying."

Martin laughed. "Okay then." It felt surreal. It was too good to be true. He let out a long sigh...releasing what he perceived to be nervousness from before the proposal, which was strange because he felt no anxiety asking her. He just knew it was right.

He got up to turn the lights on as it was six in the morning and still fairly dark outside. When the lights came on, it blinded the both of them for a few seconds. Once his eyes adjusted, Martin, looked back at the room he had slept in almost every night for four years. The walls were a blue-gray color, and his bed faced the entrance. On his bed was the woman he was now engaged to. She sat up, moving her messy black hair out of her face, although a couple strands still landed on her little nose. She was still in her rose colored nightgown. She and Martin were very well off financially, since Martin was the nephew of the owner of Capsule Corporation.

Rika rubbed her eyes, and then stretched her back out. "Turn off the lights, honey." She said to him. "Let's go back to bed, it's only six in the morning."

Martin turned off the lights and felt his way back to the bed. Once he found the bed, he lept on top of Rika and started kissing her fiercely.

She was surprised at first, but retaliated even more harshly. Before they knew it, they both rolled off the bed. Martin hit first, as he happened to be on the bottom.

"Ooh, I think that knocked a little wind out of me…" Martin groaned.

Rika laughed. "I think we should actually get some sleep." She got off of Martin's chest, and let out a sigh when she lied back down on their bed. Martin got up and walked around to his side of the bed. He lied down and took her hand. She smiled at him. Even though he could barely see, that smile comforted him more than anything in the world. It wasn't long until they both fell back to sleep.

* * *

Martin's sleep was short lived. He woke up once more, and it was only slightly brighter outside. Looking at his alarm clock for a second time, it was only 6:37 a.m., only about fifteen minutes after he had fallen back asleep. He couldn't shake the feeling that something felt off. Then it hit him. Universe Twelve's God of Destruction and Angel! Just as the thought came across his mind he jumped out of bed. The arrival of those two was long overdue. Careful not to wake Rika up, he snuck into the living room where he kept his gray and black gi. As soon as he put that on, he was out the front door. It was 6:40 a.m.

He could sense them coming. It was faint, but he felt two life forms heading for Earth. They felt very similar to Mesui's and Axita's but somehow with ill intent. He knew it was them. The flight to Dende's lookout was quick. He was flying at full speed as if to beat the two life forms there.

Once he got to the lookout, the sun had already parted from the horizon line. Dalton was standing on the edge of the lookout as usual, but Dominick was not there yet. Gogito stepped out of the palace almost as soon as Martin landed.

"Do you boys sense it?" Gogito inquired. "They're almost here."

Martin answered. "I just sensed them a couple of minutes ago. Dominick isn't here. Did he not sense them?"

Dalton was silent. Unusually silent.

"It looks like we have no choice but to start without him." Gogito responded.

Just then, two figures appeared in front of the three of them. It was nothing like the magnificent entrance of the other two divine beings of Universe Eleven. These two simply appeared from nothingness. The taller of the two stood perhaps even taller than Mesui. He had long white hair that fell back past his shoulders. His robes were exactly the same as Mesui's His eyes were sunken in and he had a full beard that extended about an inch from his chin. Since he had a giant ring floating above his shoulders, it was easy to tell he was the angel, Deis. The God of Destruction, Shihebi, was much shorter. He probably stood barely over five feet. His skin was a pale green and scaly, like a snake. He had pointy ears, and a pointy tail that fell to the floor around his feet. He was similar to Axita in the way that he would remind someone of a child, but for different reasons. He had very childish facial features, a small nose, and a more rounded face. He had slits for pupils that would send chills down anyone's spine. Over his green skin was a ripped, brown gi, with a white belt holding it all together. His hair was short and spiky, with one or two strands hanging down just below his eyes.

"We sensed a power level down here moving at a fairly fast speed." Shihebi said in a bratty tone. "We didn't expect it to be a mere human."

"Now now, Shihebi." Deis said in a condescending tone. "Don't go around picking fights with other people besides our targets."

Martin was the first to speak up. "You don't happen to be talking about Mesui and Axita, do you?" Both Deis and Shihebi looked at him with curiosity as he smirked. "You'll never find them."

Deis's confident smile turned to anger. "Tell us where they are." Martin only continued to smirk. "I'd like to know." The Angel demanded.

There was a pause. "Tell us!" Deis shouted with such force that it even surprised Dalton, whose expression had not changed since they had arrived. Then, as if all of his anger had just evaporated, his face returned to the haughty smile that he wore when he first appeared. He looked down at Shihebi. "Shihebi, if some insignificant beings stand in our way…" He looked backed at the three Saiyans, his smile widening. "...You have permission to kill them."

Shihebi started forward. "I'll take all of them, then."

"No." Deis extended his arm in front of Shihebi. "I'll take the short one." He said as he motioned toward Dalton. "For some reason, he pisses me off the most. You can have the other two."

Shihebi reluctantly agreed. He continued to walk over to Martin and Gogito as Dalton started toward Deis.

Martin watched Dalton and Deis from the corner of his eye. It seemed like Dalton gestured to Deis, wanting to go someplace else. Deis agreed, and the both of them took off, flying at an astonishing speed. Within five seconds, they were out of sight.

After he could no longer see the two of them, he turned his eyes back to his own opponent. As Gogito shifted next to him in his fighting stance, Martin relaxed. "Gogito. Let me have this one."

Gogito looked down at Martin. Martin only stared forward at Shihebi, his lips ever so slightly curled into a smile.

"I have a new resolve now. I have something I have to protect at all costs. If I can't do that now, by myself, then I will have failed as a warrior." Martin told his ancestor.

Gogito slightly raised his eyebrow. "Okay. He's all yours." He turned around and started to walk away, but stopped after about a second. "Just don't lose, then." He said, and than continued walking.

Shihebi's black slit shaped pupils followed Gogito. "Don't go anywhere, old man." He said. "I know full well you're the strongest. Trust me, I'd much rather be fighting you right now, but I'm going to take care of this weakling first."

Gogito looked back at Shihebi to see his eyes burning with fighting passion. "Very well."

Once Gogito turned around for the final time, Shihebi started toward Martin and stopped once they were well within a foot of each other. At this distance, their height difference was painfully clear, as Shihebi had to strain his neck just to look Martin in the eye.

Martin smirked down at his green adversary. "I'm going to ignore the fact that you called me a weakling. I like to keep my cool so I can make out my opponents' identities after I defeat them.

"Oh?" Shihebi retorted. "Not me. When I'm done with you, no one will be able to recognize your body."

Martin made a ninety degree turn to the left. "Well." He said, turning his head to face Shihebi. "What do you say we head somewhere else? I don't really want to destroy Dende's lookout."

"I don't give a damn where we fight. I'm going to kill you either way." The God of Destruction smiled, and with that, they both took flight in the opposite direction of Dalton and Deis.

* * *

"Alright, this is good." Dalton said, as he and the Angel stopped in their tracks.

Deis raised an eyebrow. "We're right above the middle of the ocean. I'm guessing you want a mid-air fight?"

Dalton didn't answer.

"No matter." Deis sneered. "I'll make this quick. I've almost accomplished my goal, and I'm not about to let some scrawny kid stand in my way." He took his stance.

Dalton drew his crimson hilted sword. As soon as it was exposed to the air, it became engulfed in flames.

Deis snorted. "A sword that's on fire? I don't think the middle of the ocean is your best choice for a battlefield, boy."

"I chose this location for the sole purpose that it would be more difficult for me." Dalton replied. "To me, this is nothing but training."

Deis became enraged at that statement. His nostrils flaring, he bellowed, "DO NOT TAKE ME LIGHTLY, BOY! I WILL CRUSH YOU UNTIL YOUR BONES ARE NOTHING BUT DUST THAT WILL BE BLOWN AWAY IN THIS PUNY WORLD'S WINDS!"

Dalton took his fighting stance, his flaming sword pointed that the crazed Angel. "Let's get started already. I'm not in the mood to talk shit right now." With an explosion of heat and energy, Dalton transformed into a Super Saiyan Four.

At the sight of this transformation, Deis's eyes changed from anger to bewilderment. "All this energy can't come from some kid...can it? And a human at that!"

Dalton wore the same unamused expression as he had been ever since the two deities arrived on the lookout. "Show me your power, Angel."

Deis's face seemed to grow red with rage once again, but then it relaxed. "Very well." He said. "I will show you...that even in my incomplete state, a human can never be a match for someone with divine powers such as mine."


	9. The Battles Begin

Chapter IX: The Battles Begin

Martin and Shihebi stopped in a canyon about twenty miles west of Dende's lookout. It was wide enough to move around in, but not wide enough to where the two of them could fight without crashing into one of the sides. It was also deep. The red rocks of the floor were about one hundred feet below the top. The floor was also wet, which was a sign that water had been present here recently, which also meant that there was likely a cliff somewhere near them where a waterfall would have been.

"It's a little crowded in here." Shihebi said. "What a battlefield you've picked."

Martin laughed. "Just be careful you don't get crushed by some rocks, little guy."

Shihebi's smirk disappeared in an instant. "What did you say?" A green mist just a couple shades darker than his skin started rising from his feet and dissipated above his head. "You're going to regret that smartass remark, boy. I'll make sure this will be the last time you hear the name Shihebi Yoruo." With that, he disappeared from sight.

As soon as it registered in Martin's head that the fight had begun, he quickly jumped into a defensive fighting position to where he would have the best chance of countering whatever attack his opponent had to offer. He was still looking forward when Shihebi appeared behind him, hovering at around the height of Martin's shoulders. Martin felt the wind shift behind him, but before he turn around, the top of Shihebi's foot connected with the left side of Martin's neck, sending him flying in a blur into the right wall of the canyon. He hit the wall with such force, it caused the entire cliff in that area to give way, burying him under what must have been five tons of rocks and dirt.

To avoid being crushed along with his opponent, Shihebi jumped over one hundred feet to the top of the cliff, looking down at what was now just a pile of red rocks. "Come on out." He said. "I know you aren't dead. You can't fool me by trying to lower your power level."

Nothing happened for about five more seconds. Shihebi opened his mouth as if to yell, but suddenly, the cracks in the rocks below began to shine. With a burst of energy, the rock previously covering Martin were shot out at a speed that the naked eyes could barely pick up in every direction.

"What's this?" Shihebi looked surprised. "This could be good."

Martin stood in the rubble, his skin now covered in the red fur of a Super Saiyan Four. "I gauged the strength of your initial kick. It was a decent kick, for a kid." Martin smirked.

"I get the feeling you're underestimating me." Shihebi retorted.

"I wouldn't be so sure." Martin folded his arms and began to make his way out of the fallen debris. "I took a guess that you used about ten percent of your strength in the kick. So then I figured to beat you, I would need to use this form."

Shihebi sneered. "That seems like a waste of calculations and time to me."

"Was I wrong?" Martin asked, his smile growing.

Shihebi's face turned cold and dark, which sent a chill down Martin's spine. "Dead wrong." He launched at Martin with obvious intent to kill. He was like an animal. His right fist was parried, but the other one landed on Martin's right cheek. His eyes widened when Martin grabbed his wrist, slowly moving the green fist away from his face.

"I guess I was wrong." Martin said, looking straight into the black slits in the God's eyes. "If you were trying to show me your power right there, then that would mean the kick from before was executed with over twenty percent of your strength."

"Quit talking like you know something about the power of a God, you stupid mortal. As it is, I'm only using about one hundredth of a percent of my power." Shihebi's nostrils flared as Martin gripped his wrist even tighter.

Without a change of expression on his face, Martin responded, "You're bluffing. There's no way anyone could be that powerful. I've seen another God of Destruction in battle and he was beaten by someone weaker than I am."

"That fool Axita is a weakling. He could barely hold his own against me when I was no more than twenty years old. That was over one hundred years ago, and my powers have increased by one thousand time since then. You cannot compare the two of us.

"If you're so strong, Shihebi, then why didn't your punch hurt me just now?" Martin said, mocking his opponent.

Shihebi lowered himself to the floor after realizing he had still been in the air for their entire conversation. As he lowered, Martin left go of his wrist, but the God did not jump back. He only looked up at Martin with cold eyes. He flipped his tail up so the pointy tip was around a foot higher than his head was. Martin noticed that the tip of the tail was glowing yellow and little bolts of lightning were generating around the tip, all flowing toward it. "I guess I'll have to show you the difference between us, then."

Martin chuckled. "Haven't I already accomplished that?"

Shihebi closed his eyes and smiled. "Laugh if you want. I gave you your warning already."

* * *

Dalton hovered about a foot above the water, his sword still engulfed in flames. Sweat dripped from Deis's chin as Dalton approached him. "You have already lost, Deis." Dalton told him.

"Don't look down on me, mortal." Deis said in between sharp breaths. "You will not stop me from achieving the true form of an Angel."

Dalton stopped in front of the him and pointed his sword at his throat. "What is this 'true form' you keep talking about?"

"You will find out soon enough." Deis sneered. "Although, if you're smart, you won't stick around." Dalton took a step forward. "That's right. If you leave now and allow me to achieve my goal, I will reward you with a painless death once I have Shihebi destroy this planet."

Dalton brought his face within inches of Deis's and scowled. "You're nothing but a coward." He drew his sword back from Deis's throat. "I won't give you the luxury of a painless death. Sorry, but I hate cowards." Dalton smiled a little and tilted back his head. "And I'm not merciful to people I hate."

Without warning Dalton slashed his sword at an upward angle. By the time the movement registered in Deis's head, it was too late. The blade connected just above his wrist, severing his left hand from his arm. The blade was so hot, it immediately cauterized the wound. Deis, looking at his wrist, inhaled sharply and winced with pain.

"You managed to dodge." Dalton said, condescendingly. "Good. I would have broken my promise to not give you a quick death if that strike had killed you."

Dalton lunged at the Angel once again. This time, Deis was able to completely dodge the strike at his neck. He threw himself into a backflip as the sword swung over him and landed a kick on Dalton's right forearm, launching his entire arm and the sword up and backward. With this little window of time he had created, he distanced himself from Dalton.

"You're running away." Dalton said. "I guess you've thrown away you're honor."

"Don't assume you've won only because I'm on the defensive at this particular moment. There was a pause. "I've decided." Deis said, his grin widening. "I will crush you with my full power. A mortal who has inflicted such a wound on me deserves to die at the hands of a divine power."

His smile faded. He stood up straight, and the giant halo ring behind him began to glow. As energy started flowing outward, he muttered, "Behold."

He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He spread his knees to about shoulder-width apart, and crossed his arms across his chest, his one fist hovering in front of his shoulder and this other one at the bottom of the ocean.

Dalton looked on at the Angel with curiosity. Strange. All of the power is swelling inside of him. It almost seems like he's going to explode.

All of a sudden, Deis threw his arms down to his waist, his back constricted as he looked up toward the sky, and he let out some sort of a bellow or scream that would've have ruptured any normal human's eardrums. As soon as he let out his voice, all of the energy swelling up inside of him came pouring out at once in the form of an intense wind.

Dalton turned his head and shielded his eyes with the arm he wasn't holding the sword with. This went on for about fifteen to twenty seconds. Once the wind died down, Dalton immediately focused his attention back on his opponent, looking for any difference that had come about in his power-up. Nothing physical… Dalton observed. But his power level has definitely gone up.

"It doesn't seem like much, does it?" Deis asked Dalton. "That's because mortals are not capable of sensing the full extent of my power. It is another type of energy that you are not yet familiar with. It's called divine energy."

Dalton widened his stance. "I may not be able to directly sense your power, but I can tell you're stronger than both Mesui and Axita. I'll have to be more careful from here on out."

Deis looked on at Dalton, but his gaze was empty. His eyes no longer held emotion, and Dalton could no longer predict his movements. It was almost like he was no longer living. "I am growing impatient." Deis raised his hand with his palm facing upward. Just above his hand, a blue-green ball of energy was formed.

"What is that..?" Dalton muttered. "I can't sense anything from it. It's like a ball of nothingness…"

"Pure divine energy." Deis explained. "I'm impressed that you can even see it, but even still, a mortal will never be a match for anything of the divine sort." The Angel lowered his head, but kept his eyes on Dalton. "Did you know? Divine energy is fifty times more powerful than normal energy." Deis pointed his palm at Dalton. "Let's try it out, shall we? It's been a while since I've gotten to use such an attack."

The ball of energy left Deis's hand and shot toward Dalton. Dalton's first instinct was to block it, but he noticed something as soon as the energy was released. It's slow. It's power is huge, but it moves slow! I guess my best bet for now is to dodge it. Dalton quickly moved to the left and as soon as he was out of the path of the attack, started to lunge toward Deis. As the ball whizzed past Dalton, he felt his entire body move to the right against his will. Once he felt this sensation, he immediately stopped in his tracks and looked back at the ball of energy that had just flown past him. Eyes wide, he stammered, "That thing...just pulled me in toward itself… What the hell is that thing?"

"So you noticed?" Deis responded mockingly. "How perceptive of you. One thing I neglected to tell you about divine energy is that it's dense. To put it in terms that you can understand, the attack that I shot at you probably had a mass of two hundred quintillion tons."

Dalton stared at Deis in disbelief.

"That's hard to wrap your head around, isn't it?" Deis sneered. "Let me put it this way: if that ball were to be thirty times the size of the one I just shot, it's gravitational pull would be stronger than this planet's, and the two would inevitably collide, likely causing mass extinction across your planet." He smiled. "But that wouldn't be too fun, would it?"

Dalton scowled. "I'll just have to kill you before you release something like that, then." He clenched his fists and said, "So much for training." His eyes turned red, and his pupils into slits. "You're no longer someone I can take lightly. Because of that, I'm having to use my Dragon Form in Super Saiyan 4." It seemed like Dalton's entire body was on fire. "You should feel proud. I've only used this form in an actual fight against one other person."

"Look out behind you." Deis said. "Since divine energy is so dense, I can also expand its volume to ten thousand times its original size."

Dalton spun around to see that the blue-green ball of energy had grown to about fifty feet in diameter and was still growing at remarkable speed. "Shit..!" Dalton jump back in order to avoid getting swallowed by the giant ball of energy. He clenched his right fist around his sword, and swung horizontally at the ball, sending a fiery shockwave directly through its center. After a second delay, the giant ball split in two, then exploded, sending both Dalton and Deis flying away from it.

"Well done." Deis said once the dust had cleared. "I can't believe you managed to cut that entire thing in half. I'd estimate it to be almost two hundred feet in diameter by the time you cut it."

Dalton turned to face the Angel. "Don't mock me." He retorted. "I've decided that you're a possible danger to the planet. You better get ready, Deis. This next attack will probably kill you." He raised his sword above his head, pointing it to the sky. The flames engulfing his sword grew enraged. "This is my most powerful attack. However, it is very unstable. I've only gotten to practice this attack a handful of times. I've only used it in battle twice. After I use this attack, my sword's flames will be extinguished for a full twenty-four hours. It is called…" Dalton swung his sword vertically downwards at Deis. "...Jigoku Seppen." A giant wall of flames, fifty feet tall and five feet wide, shot out from Dalton's sword toward the Angel.

Deis's composed smile turned to a wide-eyed fear as the wall approached him with almost lighting speed. "NO, WAIT-" He tried to scream, but it was too late. The wall of flames had made contact with him, and it had either split him in two or turned him to ash.

"I'm sorry for underestimating you, Deis." Dalton said. "You went and made me use my full power, and for that, I respect you. I hope your death wasn't painful."

* * *

Dominick woke up to complete blackness. He immediately sat up and rubbed his eyes to see if that would help him see anything, but it didn't. It was a strange feeling, there being no difference between when he closed his eyes and when he had them open.

Suddenly, the black space became familiar to him. "Alright, where are you?!" He demanded. There was no answer. He was calling out to his black sclera form, but it soon became obvious to him that he wouldn't get an answer anytime soon. The cross is gone..! This place is different. No...it's the same. But why didn't recognize it right away. Something's off about this place. For some reason...I don't feel at all uncomfortable about it, like I usually do.

Some time passed, and Dominick's eyes adjusted to the point to where he could just barely make out the floor from the rest of the space. Somehow he knew his eyes weren't going to adjust any more than this. Not anytime soon, at least.

"Can you see yet, Dominick?"

Dominick jumped and turned to his right to see a black figure walk out from nothing. He could also barely discern this humanoid figure from the rest of the space. "Who are you?" He demanded.

"It seems you can see me, at least." The figure said. Dominick tried to make out facial features on the figure, but to no avail. "But you can't see anything else, can you?"

"Of course not." Dominick retorted. "It's way too dark to see anything."

"So you feel that way as well…" The figure responded. "I agree. It is much too dark in here for my tastes. I really hate darkness. It is a shame that you cannot yet hear my name."

Dominick looked confused. "Your name? What is it?" Dominick asked.

The figure paused, as if deciding whether or not to tell Dominick his name. Then he spoke. "My name is…"

Dominick didn't hear it. It sounded like the figure was really far away. Dominick opened his mouth to ask again, but no sound came out. In fact, Dominick could just barely make out the figure's mouth moving, he couldn't hear anything. It soon became harder for Dominick to see the figure as well. His vision continued to fade until everything was completely black again, just like the beginning of the dream.

* * *

Dominick woke in his room in a cold sweat. Everything was normal. Almost. To his right was Ichimei. She was fast asleep. She had always been a heavy sleeper. In between them was a sword. It had a black hilt and a black sheath both with the same diamond shaped carvings that repeated every inch all the way along the sword. Its hilt was solid gold and shaped like a flower. It brought out a strange nostalgia in Dominick from four years ago. There's no way. Dominick thought to himself. I haven't seen that sword in four years. In fact, it was destroyed along with Earth in Universe Six!


	10. Reunion of Divinity

Chapter X: Reunion of Divinity

Dominick stared bewildered at the sword that lay in between him and Ichimei. How the hell did it even survive that explosion four years ago...much less end up back in Universe Seven..? He slowly reached for the hilt of the sword. As his hand moved closer, a thought crossed his mind. Why am I reaching for the sword? It's like...I can't stop myself. His fingers touched the hilt and an image of the black figure from his mind immediately crossed his mind. It flashed for only a second, and Dominick still couldn't see any of its facial features. "Damn, I'm never going to figure out my own mind, am I?" Dominick muttered to himself.

Just then, he sensed a familiar power level coming from the east. That's Dalton! He's using Dragon Form as well! And what the hell is he doing in the middle of the ocean?! Dominick closed his eyes and focused on his surroundings. He sensed Martin's power level, too. Martin's fighting too? What the hell is going on?! Their both exerting their powers so much..! It dawn on him then. Oh, shit! The other Gods are here! Why couldn't I sense them before?! Dominick looked wide-eyed at the sword. "Was he blocking my senses while I was in that dream?" He asked himself. I can't dwell on this right now. I have to go help them!

He jumped out of his bed and instinctively grabbed his sword. Without thinking, he ran outside and flew off. He had left Ichimei alone.

* * *

"You're all talk, kid." Martin said as he approached Shihebi, who was lying on the floor of the ravine, conscious but struggling to stand.

Shihebi laughed. "I'll beat you. You're no match for me."

Martin walked up to the God. He gave him a pitiful look. "Stop this. How much will it take for you to understand that you can't beat me?" Martin kicked his opponent in the side, sending him flying all the way off the edge of the dried up waterfall.

Shihebi hit the ground hard. As soon as his back touched ground, he began to have a coughing fit, spewing blood from his mouth all over the red dirt and dust at the base of the cliff he'd just fallen from. Once he stopped coughing, he tried to stand. He was able to get on his feet, but his legs continued shaking from exhaustion. "Damn...my body might not be able to keep up at this rate." He murmured to himself. He looked up to see Martin standing on the edge of the waterfall. "Finally decided to face me like a man? It took you long enough to get here." Shihebi said, mocking his opponent.

Martin, from the top of the cliff, scowled down at him. He disappeared and in that same instant, reappeared in front of the God. Before Shihebi could react, Martin planted his fist directly on his left cheek. With a grunt, Shihebi fell back on the floor, a magenta colored blood streaming from his nose. Martin glared down at Shihebi once again. When the God tried to stand up again, Martin snapped.

"Stop this, Shihebi!" He yelled. "It's over. You can't beat me."

"You're...wrong." Shihebi responded. "I...will kill you."

Martin clenched his teeth and flared his nostrils. "SHUT UP!" He lifted his knee up to about hip level, and stomped with force on Shihebi's face. The back of Shihebi's head was shoved about 4 inches into the red dirt on the ground. Martin lifted his foot off of his face and turned around. "I'm done." He said. "You've wasted enough of my time already."

As he started to fly off in the direction of the tower, he closed his eyes and searched for Dalton's energy. It seems like Dalton is done as well. There was no reason to make a big deal out of these guys.

"Don't be a fool. Never turn your back on your opponent."

Martin turned back to see Shihebi standing again. In his hand he was holding what looked like a small purple star. "Is that...energy?" Martin inquired with wide eyes. "It feels...so empty."

"It's energy of destruction." Shihebi sneered. "Only Gods of Destruction can use this power. It has the power to destroy the first physical form that it comes in contact with. No matter what that form may be."

Martin's stomach sank. "That means…"

"You know exactly what that means." Shihebi told him as he wiped the blood from his nose. "If I were to just drop this right here...there's a good chance that your planet would disappear."

Martin started to lunge toward Shihebi, but the God pointed his palm at him as if to threaten to destroy him if he came any closer. The message was clear. It worked, too. Martin was frozen in his tracks.

"You bastard…" Martin scowled. "You're nothing but a coward."

Shihebi smiled. "I'd rather be a coward than dead."

Just then, the ball of destructive energy seemed to split in two, and then it exploded. Shihebi tried to jump back, but his legs were still exhausted and they gave way, resulting in the God falling on his backside.

The explosion had caused a cloud of smoke that expanded almost to Martin. "What the hell just happened?"

The smoke eventually cleared to reveal none other than Dominick.

"Dominick! You're late!" Martin exclaimed. "And that sword...I haven't seen you carry that thing in four years.

"That's because it was destroyed four years ago. I'm not exactly sure how, but it just showed up in my room this morning."

"Well, we can talk about that later." Martin interrupted. "I need to hurry and finish off this God of Destruction. He seems like a little kid, but that's exactly what makes him dangerous. He lacks the ability to think rationally."

Shihebi sat up on the other side of the small crater that the explosion had caused. "You…" He snarled. "How in the world were you able to cut my energy of destruction and not have your sword be destroyed?"

"What are you talking about?" Dominick asked. "Why wouldn't I have been able to cut a weak attack like that?"

Shihebi sat bewildered looking up at Dominick. Weak? Did I hear that right? That energy of destruction could have erased the planet in an instant. Could it be that he's just on a level that's higher than that? No, that's impossible. Nothing is more absolute than energy of destruction.

"Dominick, step aside real quick. I'll handle this." Martin said.

Shihebi started to get up yet again. Dominick's sword, hanging at his left hip. It's glowing. What the hell…no. It's not glowing. There's a sheet of light energy covering the blade. Light doesn't have a physical form. So that's why my energy of destruction didn't destroy his sword.

Martin started toward the God, but suddenly an empty portal opened up opposite of the cliff. "What the hell?" Martin demanded.

Shihebi rolled his eyes and looked the other way.

* * *

As Dalton waited for the steam to clear, he turned his back to the ravine that his attack created. I'm surprised that my Jigoku Seppen worked on the water. He thought to himself. As he flew off, he noticed a slight ripple in energy coming from behind him. He quickly turned his head to see what it was, but he only saw steam rising from the water. He started to turn his head back around, but before he did, he glanced back once again. Doing so, he saw a figure in the steam. "No way." He told himself.

The figure was a crippled Deis. He was extremely injured, but somehow still in one piece. He had a gash down the center of his torso that extended from just above his sternum down to his groin. It was a deep red, but had already been cauterized by the heat of Dalton's flames. His face was covered in burn tissue as well. He bared his teeth and blood oozed out of the corners of his mouth. "You can't...defeat me...human." He snarled.

Dalton turned completely around. "Can you handle another one of those?" He asked, regaining his composure. "I don't think you can."

Enraged, Deis screamed, "DON'T TRY ME-" He froze. His eyes were no longer on Dalton. They seemed to be focused on something behind him.

"You look terrible, Deis." A familiar voice said. "Did a mortal really do this to you?"

Deis's rage seemed to instantly melt away. "You finally decided to show yourself, Mesui."

The blue haired Angel walked out from behind Dalton. Dalton looked at him with wide eyes. How the hell did I not sense him arrive? Was he that shift in energy I felt earlier? Dalton thought to himself.

Mesui's back was now facing Dalton. "You did well." He told him. "If you don't mind, I'd like to have a word with my old friend here." With that, Mesui started over to the wounded Angel. Once they were standing eye to eye, Mesui murmured, "Deis."

"'Your old friend', you say?" Deis sneered. "Are you not angry with me because I killed our brethren?"

"Furious." Mesui replied. "But that's all the more reason I want to fight you alone." He got even closer to Deis. "Tonight. That island to our right. We'll settle this alone."

Deis chuckled. "And what if I want to finish you here and now?"

"That would be foolish. Dalton is still here. All he would have to do is fire another one of those fire walls and you would be dead." Mesui responded.

"So that's the boy's name…" Deis sneered. "Fine. I will wait until tonight to kill you."

As he turned around to create to leave and get his partner, Dalton spoke up. "Hey, where do you think you're going?!" He yelled to the Angel's back.

"Don't worry about me, human." Deis said without turning his head at all. "You should worry about yourself. Trust me on this. The next time we meet, your Jigoku Seppen will no longer be able to even put a scratch on me." With that, a similar portal to the one through which Mesui and Axita entered opened up from thin air in front of Deis. Only this time, there was no color or lack of it. There was only emptiness. Once Deis stepped through, it vanished into thin air once more.

* * *

From the emptiness in the portal to Martin's right emerged Deis, his entire front side covered in burn tissue and a long, fresh scar running down his entire torso.

"Shihebi, we're leaving." He said without hesitation.

Shihebi rolled his eyes. "Jeez, Deis. I was just about to kill these guys. Can't you wait just a little longer?" He said with a slightly whiny tone.

"No." Deis replied. "We have an...appointment tonight. We have to be prepared for it. I'm no longer taking any risks."

The smallest possible smile formed on Shihebi's face, then he rolled his eyes again. "Fine, then. I guess the time's almost come." He finished getting up and started to walk toward Deis. Neither Martin or Dominick tried to stop him. They knew that the Earth was safe as long as Mesui and Axita were still there.

Deis opened up the empty portal once more. As the two began to walk through the portal, Shihebi glanced back at Martin, and Martin gave him a smirk in return.

"You won't get away next time, little guy." Martin said, not loud enough for the God to hear. Or so he thought.

After he broke eye contact with the Shihebi, he heard a familiar snake-like voice booming in his head. _You have absolutely no idea what you're dealing with, boy. I have lived over one hundred times longer than you have. During our entire fight, I never lied to you once. I really was only using a fraction of a percent of my power, and know this well: You will NEVER be able to come close to defeating me._ Suddenly, and only for an instant, an extremely dense and powerful energy came pouring out of Shihebi. Martin broke into a cold sweat dropped to his knees. When he looked back into the God's eyes, their slit shaped pupils seemed to pierce straight through his skin and into his very essence. They were completely absent of any life or soul. Before the two of them disappeared into the emptiness, Shihebi smiled wide at Martin, baring his snake-like fangs. All within that second, the two disappeared.

* * *

Dominick and Martin were the last to return to the lookout. When Dominick arrived carrying Martin on his back, Gogito nodded toward them.

"You showed up, Dominick." He said.

Dominick's face was rather serious. "That's my bad." He replied. Looking around the six people that were already at the lookout, he spotted dende. "Dende, can you heal Martin? I don't know what happened, but he just collapsed after the battle was over."

Dende stepped forward. "Yeah, let me see him." He said as Dominick set Martin on the floor.

Dalton, who was watching Martin, looked up and saw Dominick's sword hanging from his belt. "Your sword." He said. "Is it new?"

Dominick looked up at him and knotted his eyebrows. "It's not. It's the same one." He said. "I'm glad you brought that up. I wanted to ask Kibito Kai about it."

Kibito Kai frowned. "What's the big deal? It's just a sword, right?" He asked.

"I thought so too." Dominick replied. "But this one was destroyed four years ago in Universe Six. I don't know how...but I know it's the same one from back then."

Everyone seemed taken aback at that. "That's strange." Kibito Kai said slowly, obviously trying to think of how that would be possible. "I don't know how to explain something like this."

Mesui took a step toward Dominick, who was kneeling at Martin's side. "Can I take a closer look at that sword?" He asked. Dominick nodded, and Mesui leaned down and placed a hand on the black hilt. After a moment, he murmured, "That's what I figured." He looked up at Dominick and said, "This sword was probably made in Universe Three. The Third and Tenth Universes are known for their swords. Some of them are even said to have a conscious of their own." Dominick looked up at the angel in a sort of disbelief. He wasn't surprised, but that was in part because he didn't fully understand what Mesui had told him. Dalton looked down at his own sword. "That's not to say I know how this sword made its way all the way here to Universe Seven, but a conscious mind can do many things that nobody can explain."

Dominick looked down at Martin, who was now barely conscious, but sweating profusely. Then he looked down at his own sword, putting his hand on the black hilt, where Mesui's hand had been. He then remembered the dream he had that morning with the black figure. Were they connected somehow? "There seems to be a lot that we don't know yet." He said to himself.


	11. Hidden Everything

Chapter XI: Hidden Everything

"That should be enough." Dende said as he stood up. "He had no physical injuries; it was only his ki that was severely weakened, and I've never had to heal any spiritual injury like that before. It's not completely healed, but I think a long rest should help more than anything right now."

Martin sat up, still weak, but in much better shape than when he arrived. "His eyes…" He murmured. "They were so empty...but it felt like they reached out to me and physically shoved me to my knees...it felt so heavy."

"Let's get you to bed." Dende said.

"Be extra careful around him…" Martin said as Dende helped him up. "He's not who he seems to be…" With those words, the two of them walked back into the palace.

After they were gone, Dalton looked up at Mesui. "Care to tell us why you let Deis and Shihebi escape?" He asked.

Mesui chuckled. "Such demanding words from a child of your age." He paused for a second. "I'm afraid I cannot tell you. It seems you have misunderstood my request. I don't blame you, though. You will understand in due time." He turned his head a little. "Although I'd rather you didn't have to find out the hard way." He muttered to himself.

"What was that last part?" Dalton demanded.

"Don't worry about it." Mesui responded. "Anyway, Deis and Shihebi won't be returning until early tomorrow morning at the earliest. Until then the most you can do is get some rest." He looked over at Kibito Kai and he nodded. The two of them started walking away from the group, and Mesui motioned for Axita, who had been quiet this entire time, to follow him.

As the Angel and the God of Destruction put their hands on Kibito Kai's shoulders, Dalton asked Mesui, "Why did you even ask us for our help if you were going to put yourself in harm's way anyway?"

Mesui looked back at him. "Like I said, you misunderstood my request." Then the three of them disappeared into the world of the Kais.

Gogito let out a sigh and started to walk toward the palace. Dalton followed him with his eyes. "Where are you going?" He asked.

Without looking back or slowing down, Gogito responded, "You heard the angel. The best thing for us right now is rest. We shouldn't worry about Universe Three, Ten, or Twelve right now. Let's just carry out the rest of the day like normal."

Dalton just watched him for a while. "Hmm." He grunted to himself. Only Dominick and Dalton were left standing on the edge of the lookout.

"What are you going to do?" Dominick asked his little brother.

Dalton didn't answer him. Instead, he only walked off the edge of the lookout and started flying west at a startling speed.

Dominick watched as he flew off. He was confused, acting like this wasn't new for Dalton. "Well, I guess I'll go home to Ichimei. I didn't mean to leave her by herself this morning." He said to himself.

* * *

Dalton honestly didn't know where he was flying, or what was on his mind. That was a lie. He knew exactly what was on his mind, or rather who was on his mind. He just didn't want to admit it to himself. Sakumi.

 _God, why can't I focus on anything right now?_ He thought to himself. _I have much more important things to think about right now, but how come she takes up so much of my mind?_

He found himself hovering still above some trees that covered the back half of an outlook behind Sakumi's school. It seemed like a pretty hidden area, but there were benches near the edge, so people had obviously been there before. A girl was standing behind the railing extending along the edges of the outlook. He knew who it was.

He slowly descended, second-guessing his decision to approach her, but knowing it was too late to turn back now. He landed in front of the bench to the left of Sakumi. She turned her head just enough to see who it was, and jumped a little when she saw him. "D-Dalton." She muttered. "How did you find this place?"

He looked up at her. "It's not this place that I found. It's you." He said.

"Oh…" She let out a quiet and awkward laugh that trailed on for a couple seconds.

"Why aren't you in school?" He asked her.

"It's sunday, silly."

"Mm. Of course." Dalton looked out at the school, and back up at Sakumi. "Why are you here, then?"

"I'm escaping." She replied. "For now, at least. I'm not very fond of my mom at the moment."

"Is your dad not around?" He kept his face calm.

"He left for a business trip when I was around nine. He never came back, so I guess he found another woman or something. Mom didn't seem too sad about it."

"Sorry." There was a moment of silence. "I lost my dad as well. He was killed when I was three."

Sakumi looked down at Dalton, who was staring who knows where. "Do you...want revenge?" She asked him out of the blue. "I do. I want revenge on my dad for leaving me alone with a crazy woman, and I want revenge on my mom for only loving my sister. It didn't ever get bad around the house until Rika moved out."

Dalton continued to stare off into space. "Of course I want revenge. But it's not that simple. I know who did it, but it's someone I've always looked up to. Not because he's stronger than me, no. I could kill him if I tried to. It's because he's able to remain strong in hard times. I break so easily. I can't bring myself to do anything right now."

"You don't seem broken."

"I am, though. Broken beyond repair. I've been filled with rage and anger for these last few days. It's hard to even talk without lashing out." Dalton said, raising his voice. He paused. "Sorry."

"It's okay." Sakumi told him. She stared at him while he kept on looking out into nothing. "Hey. Did you ever know Katsu?" She asked.

"My brother did." Dalton replied.

She laughed a little. "I knew that already. Katsu used to come up here before I did. To escape from his parents, like me. He ranted about his dad to me a lot, but he also talked about your brother, too. He always told me he was irritating, but I somehow knew deep down he envied your brother."

"I got that feeling as well, from what I've seen of him."

"Do you know where he's been lately?" Sakumi asked. "I haven't seen him in over a week."

"You didn't hear?" Dalton looked up at her with a serious face. "Katsu was reported missing last week, and both of his parents were found dead."

Her eyes widened for a second, then she looked out past the school. "He finally did it." She whisper to herself. "I guess he won't be coming back here anymore."

Dalton nodded. Now they both were looking out at the city. It was busy for a sunday. Everyone was going about their daily lives. They had no idea that a God of Destruction and an Angel were planning to destroy the planet. Sakumi had been silent for a while now. Dalton looked up at her to see if she was crying, but she only wore a sad smile.

"Hey." She said, making eye contact with Dalton and still wearing that same sad smile. "Do you ever get the feeling that life wasn't really made for some of us?"

Dalton's face finally changed at this. "What?"

"Like...it feels like this world isn't a fit for me. I feel so out of place and...different from everyone else. It's like I can't function normally in this life anymore."

"Well…" Dalton started. "Yeah, actually. A lot. I don't think I could function in a normal society. I've never been good at getting along with other kids, you know?" She nodded. "But I don't exactly lead a normal life, so I can't completely relate to how you're feeling."

"What if I said I wanted to run away with you? Live your extraordinary life, and just escape from this world I'm not supposed to belong to...would you take me with you?" She was now looking into Dalton's eyes with a sort of intensity.

"It's a dangerous world." Dalton replied. "I can't willingly put you in danger."

"But-" Sakumi started, but she didn't get her thoughts out before Dalton stood up suddenly.

"I don't know what I'd do if you got hurt." _What am I saying?_ "I have to protect you, Sakumi." He reached out to her and touched her cheek. She didn't respond to his touch. She seemed to be ready to let him do anything to her. _What am I doing?_ Dalton thought to himself. A slight gust of wind blew through the trees behind the benches, blowing Sakumi's hair over Dalton's hand. He caressed her cheek. _All I know is...I have to protect her._ "Right now, the world you want to travel to is in grave danger." He explained. "I can't bring you there now, because you might get hurt. But I'll take care of it. I'll get rid of the dangers. Until then, just stay safe."

Sakumi was staring up at Dalton with wondering, sparkling eyes. Dalton's ears turned bright red once he came back to his senses, and he took a step back and broke eye contact. He turned around. "Just stay safe." He said again. Then he launched himself into the air, flying off to who knows where. Perhaps he didn't even know where he was going.

As she watched him disappear into the sky, Sakumi finally broke into tears.

* * *

Ichimei had woken up about an hour after Dominick left that morning. When he got back about two hours after that, she was waiting for him at the door. When he went to enter his home, the door refused to open more than an inch. Frowning, Dominick peeked through the crack created by the slightly opened door, and saw Ichimei. She was asleep, her back resting against the front door, preventing it from being swung open any further. She had obviously been waiting for Dominick to come home. Once he realized this, a wave of guilt fell over him.

"Ichimei." He whispered to her from the crack in the doorway. "Hey, wake up." He saw her head bob up and down a couple of times before rising slowly and looking around, as if to try to remember where she was. She then got up and looked through the crack in the door at Dominick. "Can I come in?" He asked. She smiled and proceeded to close the door and lock it. After a brief pause of astonishment, Dominick chuckled. "I guess I deserve that one." He tried the door again, but to no prevail. "Oh well," He said loud enough for his girlfriend to hear on the other side of the door. "I guess I have to go spend the night at the lookout tonight." He turned around, and as he pretended to walk away, he heard Ichimei's hurried attempt to unlock the door before he left. He heard the door open, and before he could turn around to face the woman, he was tackled from behind, hitting the ground with a thump.

As he struggled to roll onto his back with over one hundred pounds sitting on top of him, he saw his girlfriend in tears. His stomach sank. "I was so scared when I woke up and you were gone…" she said between sniffles. "I thought Katsu was going to come back for me."

"Ichimei, I'm so sorry." He apologized. "It was an emergency, I thought the Earth was in danger, I had no time to wake you up."

She wiped her eyes. "I understand that, you know I do. But I was still scared."

"I can assure you...Katsu is never going to come back for you." Before he finished his sentence, he felt the left side of his vision go completely black. He tried to hide his eye from Ichimei, but she had already seen the black sclera. As he lowered his hand, she reached up to touch his face. He closed his eyes and let her fingers run over his left eye.

"You killed Katsu, didn't you?" She asked. "Did your eye make you do it?"

Dominick didn't answer for a while. When he finally opened his mouth, his words sounded pained. "I can't lie and say I didn't want to kill him. I really wanted him dead." He paused as if to formulate the rest of his answer. "This eye just...has a way of tearing down those walls that prevent me from doing things I know I shouldn't. It completely runs on instinct."

* * *

Deis sat in the corner of what looked to be a transparent box in the middle of blackness. Behind him was a giant blue sphere. It looked like a glass orb containing a massive blue dust cloud. It was Universe 7. In the distance there were other Universes, the different numbers represented by different colored clouds encased in their own glass sphere.

"The kid I fought was strong." Deis said to Shihebi, who was sitting with his left elbow resting on his left knee in the adjacent corner of the box. He didn't respond. "He was an irritating kid, but something about him made me like him." There was a pause, and an eerie silence rang through the Universes. "He'd have made an excellent God of Destruction. He hides a lot of hate."

Shihebi still did not respond. In his corner of the box, he sat motionless, seemingly unaware of Deis's existence. From his emotionless slits for pupils, a single tear ran down his face, which contained the memories of over 150 years of suffering.


	12. An Angel's Honor

_Chapter XII : An Angel's Honor_

Martin sat up in his bed quietly as to not wake up Rika. He rested his head in the palm of his hand as he slowly exhaled. Looking behind him at Rika, he decided to try to go back to sleep. He gradually let his back make contact with the sheets below him.

Rika rubbed her eyes and began to stir. She looked at Martin with squinted eyes and asked, "What time is it?"

Martin peered at the clock across the room. "It's only like 10:30."

"Are you feeling any better?" She asked him, rubbing her eyes once more.

"I feel fine," Martin replied. "It's just that I can't shake this feeling that…" He couldn't complete the thought. Just what was he worried about? He couldn't put his finger on it.

"Can't shake this feeling of what?" Rika inquired.

"I don't know." Martin said. Something was wrong. What Shihebi had said to him could not have been true. _I could have definitely killed him...but those eyes were not bluffing._

* * *

The moon was almost full. Its reflection shone in the endless body of water like a flashlight aimed up from the base of the ocean.

"The stage has been set." Deis proclaimed. "And this is the scene in which I finally gain the infinite power I have been reaching toward for all these years. It is a shame, however. I only wish that you and your God of Destruction's roles had been reversed. You were no doubt my favorite of our brother Angels."

The moonlight reflected off Mesui's sky blue hair, making it glimmer in the wind. The Angel wore a pained half-smile. The two were accompanied by their Gods of Destruction on the island just east of where Dalton and Deis fought earlier that day. It was a deceptively large island, with a couple of mountains near the center. Mesui chuckled. "You'd think I would be scared to fight the man who has killed all of our brothers, but I'm really not."

"Hmm." Deis grunted. "Is that because you are under the impression that you are stronger than me?"

Mesui shook his head. "I don't think so. I think it still hasn't really sunk in that I'm about to fight my best friend to the death."

Deis let loose an uncontrolled laughter that rang throughout the night. "Don't make me laugh." His face turned into a scowl. "It obviously hasn't sunk in." The darkness of nighttime concealed most of the Angel's face, but some features were visible because of the moonlight. He turned his head slightly to face the shy God of Destruction standing behind Mesui. "I see you brought your pet."

"Don't call him a pet, Deis." Mesui said. "He wanted to come and fight Shihebi. I see you brought him along as well." He motioned to the green child standing beside Deis. "Since you were a relatively new Angel, you probably didn't know that Shihebi and Axita used to be great friends as well."

"I could care less about Shihebi's and Axita's past." Deis sneered. "The only thing I care about right now is killing you and obtaining the ultimate angelic power, _Yugotensei_. You should know that well by now."

Mesui peered at Deis as if looking for something. "Why do you want this power? Is it really worth killing all of our brothers?" He inquired.

Deis smiled. "The fact that you need to ask that question proves that you are not fit to be an Angel. We are supposed to protect our Universes. How will we do that if we aren't the strongest beings in the Universes?!" Deis's smile faded to solemnity. "After years of contemplation, I concluded that I alone was fit to rule all of the Universes."

Mesui simply looked at Deis, his face strewn with disappointment.

After about five minutes of total silence, Shihebi stepped forward and motioned to Axita. "Hey, why don't we let these two do their bickering here and go fight somewhere else?" He said to him.

Axita looked up at Mesui for approval.

"Go ahead." Mesui told him. "Just stay on the island."

With that, the two Gods of destruction took flight toward the east end of the island.

"Deis." Mesui said. "Are you really trying to master Divinity?"

"That is the ultimate goal." Deis replied.

"You know that after killing all of us, you will only have Divinity about one percent mastered. You should give up that goal." Mesui warned. "This is your last chance. Stop this killing and we can work together to protect the Universes."

Deis responded with an amused laugh. "I'm far too deep to return to you now, Mesui. You can't kill me."

"Maybe," said Mesui, "but if you kill me, either Dominick, Dalton or Martin will not fail to defeat you."

Deis became irritated. "You underestimate the power of _Yugotensei_."

Mesui positioned himself into a fighting stance. "Hopefully you won't have to find out if I'm right." He closed his eyes and a large, blue-green spherical extended outward in every direction from his body. It grew big enough to encompass the entire island. "I just put up a protective barrier. Now no one outside the surface of the barrier can sense our power levels or enter the barrier."

Deis's hidden rage exploded at once. "MESUI!" He bellowed in a deep, booming voice that echoed through hills and valleys of the island. "DON'T MOCK ME!" A dense silver aura rapidly shot outward from his body as the ground below and around him was broken up into smaller and smaller rocks and disintegrated. The aura surrounding Deis was about ten meters tall.

"That's right Deis," muttered Mesui, "Use all of your rage. I know you have mountains of it. I want you to be at your best when I beat you."

Deis launched at Mesui with sound breaking speed. "YOU CAN NEVER BEAT ME! THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE YET TO UNDERSTAND, MESUI!" He landed a hard right onto Mesui's face before the Angel could even react. "And that ignorance will be the cause of your death."

* * *

Shihebi and Axita arrived on a sandy beach on the east end of the island. There were specks of glass in the sand that glimmered in the moonlight. Palm trees separated the beach from the inner land everywhere except for the foot of the mountain which the two had flown directly over to get to this beach.

"It's been a while since we last fought all out, Axita." Shihebi said with a little laugh at the end. "I've been excited about showing you how much stronger than you I am now." Axita still said nothing. "Sorry," said the snake as all traces of his prior childishness vanished, "I have misled you for a while now. I've just been letting you think you were stronger than me. All of those victories you have over me from when we were kids...each of them was a step toward gaining your trust."

With that, Axita spoke his first words to Shihebi in over fifty years. "Don't think I'll for such a stupid bluff, Shihebi." He said. "You're the one person I can talk this comfortably with. I know you like the back of my own hand. I know that ever since I became a God of Destruction, you have survived off of bluffing in battles." He stretched out an open hand to his green friend, then closed it into a fist. "And over the years, I have learned how to see through all of them."

Shihebi sighed. "I needed you, Axita. In case the Gods decided to turn against me, I needed you to stay by my side." He lamented.

"How ironic." Axita scoffed. "It is you who has turned against the rest of us."

Shihebi shook his head. "That is another detail that you've been misled on." His eyes suddenly showed the emptiness that they had shown Martin earlier that day. "I was never on anyone's side to begin with. I became a God of Destruction for my own reasons, and those alone." There was a pause that seemed like an eternity in Axita's mind. "Let us make a comparison." Shihebi said, breaking the silence. "You were the strongest God of Destruction among us all. I am willing to bet that you could take down Deis if you were at full strength and if he didn't have the power of ten other Angels inside of him. Am I wrong?"

Axita stopped to think about the proposal. "It would be close, but I think I could win, yes."

Shihebi's expressionless face contorted into a malicious smile. "As he is right now, I could kill Deis with only one punch."

"I don't believe you."

"Please, Axita." Shihebi said. "All this time, I may have hidden certain things from you. But I have never told a lie."

Axita's legs shifted into a more stable stance. "Let's test that claim, then." A deep aura bubbled up around his black and white gi. His muscles tensed as the energy surrounding him expanded. His aura looked like a ball about to pop. And it popped. A huge explosion of red wind and heat came from out of Axita almost instantly.

"Wow." Shihebi said, his eyes slightly widened with amusement. "You've really buffed up."

"Enough talk." Axita scowled. "I'll stop you here. It's the end for you two."

Shihebi laughed. "Wrong again. You really aren't on it today, are you?"

Without warning, Axita ran at full speed toward his old friend, beginning their final battle.

* * *

As soon as Mesui's barrier was placed around the island, Gogito noticed a slight change in the air, causing him to awake from his rest. _Four power levels have gone out._ He thought to himself. _They aren't anything special, but they're strong enough to be more than just average humans. I'd estimate them all to be much less than Super Saiyan level. It could only be the Gods and Angels._

"So you sensed it as well?" Dende appeared from the darkness in Gogito's room, which happened to be only a few rooms away from his own. "It's them."

"Yeah." Gogito responded.

"So this was his plan all along." Kibito Kai had just teleported from the World of the Kais to Dende's Lookout.

"What do you mean?" Dende asked him curiously.

"Mesui put up a protective barrier to around the area of his battle with Deis." Kibito Kai explained. "Axita and Shihebi are probably there as well."

"What?!" Gogito exclaimed. "Why is Mesui fighting Deis alone?!"

"This must have been what he meant when he said that we misunderstood his request. He wanted to fight Deis alone from the very beginning." Kibito Kai said. "How foolish of him! I understand now that he asked us for help not with fighting Deis and Shihebi, but just in case he was killed in their fight. There's no telling how strong that Deis will become once he has killed all of the Angels." The kai clenched his fists. "He put his own honor over the greater good of all of the Universes!"

Panicked, Dende blurted, "We have to go save him!"

"No." Gogito responded, oddly now the most calm one among the three, which was the complete opposite of just a couple of minutes prior. "If what Kibito Kai said is true, then we absolutely can't go help him. Mesui is defending his honor as an Angel right now. Helping him now would be a the greatest insult. It would be worse than death. If he was willing to put this battle above protecting the Universes, then we have to respect his decision."

"But what about-" The old kai started before he was interrupted by Gogito.

"Don't worry, Kibito Kai. My boys are really damn strong. They can take anything that Deis has to offer. And don't forget, I'm even stronger than they are. At least for now." he reassured him.

There was a moment of silence as Kibito Kai tried to make a decision. "Fine."

"Do the kids know what's going on?" Gogito asked.

"No." Dende replied. "They're too inexperienced to notice the small changes in power levels around the world, especially in their sleep."

"I see. That's good, then." Gogito said, relieved. "Hopefully they won't need it, but they could use all the rest they can get."

Kibito Kai still wasn't convinced. _I doubt this will go over as well as you think, Gogito. I'll respect Mesui's wishes for now, but as it is, there's no way he can defeat Deis. That man is on an entirely different level from the rest of the Angels, so even if Mesui is one of the stronger Angels, it's only a matter of time before he's killed._ Kibito Kai walked to the entrance of the palace so he could have a clear view of the night sky. He focused on sensing power levels that seemed to appear out of nowhere. When they did, that would mean that Mesui was dead. _Dalton had to use a considerable amount of his power against Deis, and still failed to kill him. Dalton is the strongest among the three. Gogito, you can't guarantee that Deis will not become stronger than all four of you combined._ As Kibito Kai was unaware of the fights on the island that were only just beginning, he chuckled to himself. It was a chuckle that was trying to reassure himself. "How do I always get placed in these situations?"


	13. A Fair Trade

_Chapter XIII : A Fair Trade_

Mesui was sent flying into a group of palm trees by Deis's initial punch. Before he had time to get up, his opponent was already behind him. By the time he realized that there was someone behind him, he could already feel Deis's lower shin making contact with the right side of his face. The impact sent him crashing into one of the palm trees to knock it over, barely slowing Mesui down. At this point, the blue-haired Angel was already seeing stars. He somehow managed to slow himself down before he went flying out of the boundaries of his own barrier.

In seemingly no hurry, Deis walked after his prey. As he emerged out of the little forest of palm trees, he began to laugh maniacally. "It's hard to believe that this is really happening." He said. "This ultimate power is right in front of me, and it can barely even fight back. It's like it is mine for the taking." He approached Mesui and stopped when he was practically standing over the Angel who was struggling to get off of his knees. "I knew from the very beginning this power was destined to belong to me." He said haughtily. "I've always been leagues above you all."

Suddenly, Mesui seemed to disappear from Deis's sight. Quickly searching for his power level, Deis, caught a glimpse of the back of the Angel heading into the thicker forest deep in the island. "Running away?!" He demanded. "Don't think you can get away from me!"

Mesui made his way through the forest as quickly as possible. _I have to get away from the outer edges of the island._ He thought to himself. _But I also don't want to stay in this dense forest for too long. He has the upper hand in places like these with a lot of blind spots._ He felt Deis's energy quickly gaining on him from behind him. _Knowing Deis, he'll try to get in front of me to try to prevent me from escaping. If I can attack right when he stops me, I should be able to land a hit. It will only buy me a couple of seconds and it will have to be timed perfectly, but it's worth the risk._ Mesui felt the air move slightly as Deis zipped past his left side. Before he even saw Deis's body appear in front of him, he launched his fist at where he predicted the face to be. At this point, he was not focused on what his eyes could see, but what his mind could sense. He felt his fist connect with flesh. He poured more energy into his punching arm and twisted his fist to inflict as much damage as possible. Without even seeing Deis, he kept flying through the forest as he left his brother Angel's power level behind him.

Deis held his face where the attack had landed. The punch had broken the skin on his lip, so when he took his hand away from his face, he saw that it was wet with dark red blood. Enraged, he screamed, "MESUI! YOU BASTARD! I'LL MAKE SURE YOU'RE SCREAMING IN PAIN BEFORE YOU DIE!"

Mesui struggled not to look back at the raging Angel behind him. That would hinder his speed slightly. Whether he liked it or not, as of now, he was fighting a defensive battle. _That worked out better than I anticipated._ He thought. _I managed to stop him for a while, and now that he's mad, he's more likely to make rash decisions._

Just as those thoughts entered and left his mind, he flew past the last trees of the forest and into a rather barren valley. There were no hills or mountains in a radius of over a kilometer, and the only greenery was the forest he had just exited. Just a few seconds after Mesui arrived at the valley, Deis also broke through the edge of the forest. His eyes were bloodshot and his teeth were clenched with rage.

"This is perfect." Mesui said, facing Deis. "At the edge of the barrier, I didn't feel comfortable fighting all out because I might slip out of the barrier and someone might have found us. Now the fight really begins."

"Did you really think coming to the center of this island would somehow increase your chances of defeating me?" Deis said mockingly. "You've only succeeded in angering me, and that is something you really shouldn't have done."

Mesui ignored his old friend. His white gi billowed in the wind generating from his body. With a brief yell, his power level shot to nearly five times what it was before. "If you want to kill me, you're going to have to earn my life."

Deis looked into Mesui's eyes with an expression that seemed to try to break his opponent's morale. "Is that it?"

Once again, Mesui did not answer. He launched at Deis with speed that made his journey through the forest seem like a brisk walk. However, once he got into attacking range, the other Angel jumped straight into the air. Mesui planted his left foot in the ground to counter his forward momentum, and used his right foot to propel himself into the air after Deis. The white-haired Angel stopped his upward flight when he noticed his opponent approaching from below. Once Mesui launched his fist toward Deis, he dodged with speed that gave the illusion of disappearance. He reappeared below Mesui, and sent an upward kick with his right leg at the Angel's stomach. Mesui used the same trick that Deis had used to dodge the prior attack. Caught off guard by his blue-haired opponent's newfound speed, he was not able to defend Mesui's elbow attack to the back of his neck and was sent plummeting down to the barren valley below. He hit the dry ground hard, creating a dust cloud that concealed his position. Instead of closing the distance between himself and his opponent, he chose to stay in the air where he had a wider field of vision. Suddenly, he saw all the smoke move in one direction as if something had passed through it.

 _Where is he?_ When he searched for Deis's energy, his stomach dropped as he felt it right behind him. _When did he…_ As soon as he turned around, he felt Deis's fist digging into his gut.

Deis stared daggers into Mesui's eyes as blood still ran from his nose and the corner of his mouth. "Don't get too cocky, Mesui." He retracted his fist and punched Mesui again in the abdomen. This time, Mesui coughed up blood, wetting Deis's right arm. Deis released all of his power into the second punch and Mesui was sent flying all the way to the mountain that bordered the beach where Shihebi and Axita were fighting. It was over a kilometer away.

Deis yelled at the top of his lungs as he held out his hand with his palm upright. The same green-blue ball of divine energy that he used against Dalton materialized above his hand. Sensing that Mesui wasn't moving, he threw the ball of energy as hard as he could at the mountain. Obviously pleased with himself, he laugh and turned toward the opposite direction. "That should end it." He said.

* * *

Shihebi was on his knees with a pool of blood under his face when the mountain behind him exploded. He showed no visual reaction. "He's used Divine Energy." He said as he looked up at Axita. "Mesui's probably going to die."

"Don't underestimate Mesui, you fool." Axita retorted.

"I'm not." Shihebi told him. "You're fooling yourself if you think Mesui can beat Deis. You probably think your Angel can outwit mine. That type of thinking is stupid. Wit in battle means nothing if your opponent is stronger than you. You should know how strong Deis is if you claim you can beat him in a battle."

Axita chuckled at Shihebi's little speech. "And you should know everything about someone before claiming whether or not they can win in a fight." He said. "Mesui's not quite on his last limb yet. He still has…" The sentence trailed off.

Shihebi was confused. "He still has what?"

"Don't worry about it." Axita said, shaking his head. "I already almost said too much. You'll know if he uses it."

Shihebi stood upright and lunged at Axita without warning, his right arm pulled back in attempt to land his fist in Axita's gut. Axita simply stepped to his left and pushed Shihebi to the side, completely messing up his attack.

"Your movements are slowing down, Shihebi. Don't tell me you're already getting tired." Axita said in a taunting voice. Then his face became solemn. "Why don't you use your lightning?"

Shihebi looked away. "You know why. I don't like giving away my special attack to my opponent." He said.

"That's stupid." Axita replied. "I already know about your lightning and I'm the only one around to see it. Besides, that's the only possible chance you have of beating me."

"I won't use it." Shihebi said coldly.

"Fine."

Axita ran at Shihebi and launched a barrage of punches and kicks at all of Shihebi's weak points. After sparring with him for so many years in the past, he knew almost all of them. Shihebi was able to block about two out of every five attacks that were thrown at him. With every attack that landed, his stance became less and less sturdy, and his vision became more and more unfocused. He was really no match for the other God of Destruction. Axita landed one final hard hit in the lower abdomen, leaving Shihebi struggling to catch his breath. The snake fell onto his knees, coughing up more blood and gripping his stomach where the punch had hit him.

"If you're just going to screw around," said Axita, "I'm going to go help Mesui."

Shihebi was unresponsive. Perhaps he was in too much pain to respond. Axita didn't care. He was beginning to be blinded by his rage toward Shihebi, and his uncertainty toward the fight between Mesui and Deis. It had been a while since he had felt Mesui's power. Maybe he really was going to lose.

A red smoke began to rise up from Shihebi's body. It had a completely different aura to it than the normal green smoke that he normally generated. Something was different this time. Axita still paid no mind to the changes in Shihebi's energy.

Just then, Axita felt a power far stronger and denser than Deis's. But it didn't feel like completely Mesui's power level, either. It was almost like two power levels combined into one. _He...really did use it…_ Axita thought to himself.

* * *

Mesui found himself buried under many crumbling rocks that had been a part of the mountain he had crashed into. The amount of Divine Energy that Deis could pack into just one blast was unreal from the other Angel's perspective. It was at this point that Mesui realized how big of a difference there really was in their strengths, and that he would need to rely on the power of another.

Deis jammed his arm into the rocks under which Mesui was lying. As he felt his opponent's gi, he grabbed hold of it and forcefully ripped Mesui out from under the rocks. "This is pathetic." He scoffed, looking at the blue Angel's bloodied face. "If you can't fight me anymore, then I'm more than happy to kill you now. If you can, then let's get to it already."

Mesui weakly grabbed hold of Deis's arm, still gripping his gi. "I can still fight." He struggled. Deis threw him back away from the mountain, where he stopped himself in the air. Breathing heavily between words, he stammered, "I didn't think...you would have become this powerful." Placing his hands together as if to say a prayer, he murmured, "I didn't want to have to use this."

Deis moved back a little. "Have you gone insane?" He asked, a slight smile forming on his face. "Are you sending a prayer to our Mother or something?"

Mesui gave a pained chuckle. "Lucky guess." The air around him began to ripple as he pressed his hands together even harder and his eyes began to glow white.

Deis was dumbfounded. "What the fuck is this?" He demanded. "Mesui, what the hell are you doing?!" His overconfidence was quickly being replaced with bewilderment.

Mesui looked into the sky and his hands dropped to his sides. _Great Creator of our Existence…_ He said in a voice seemingly belonging to someone other than himself. _I am your child. You have been generous enough to lend your power to your sons, but I now need to selfishly ask for more._ Mesui slowly brought his hand to his face. _In payment...I offer you my left eye._ Without warning, he jabbed his thumb and his first two fingers into his left eye socket and wrapping them around the back. He carefully removed his eye from his head and raised it into the sky. _Please accept my offering. I beg of you, Mother._

A vortex of white, holy energy came booming down from the heavens to Mesui's eye, perched up a foot above his head. The energy swallowed the eye, and retracted back up to the sky.

Deis remained in an extremely cautious state as the white energy returned to where it came from. _Is it over? No, that energy is still here. It's just coming from…_ When Deis made his realization, he began to panic. Mesui now had a shining white aura enveloping his very being. "Don't tell me…" He started. "Our Mother, the Creator of all Universes, has lent _you_ her power? _YOU?!_ "

"Not exactly." Mesui explained. "She has simply given me the power to use all of the power that my physical body can handle. But still, I know this is greater than what you're capable of right now."

Deis's lips curled and his back arched as his rage boiled up even further. "I'LL KILL YOU! NOTHING CAN STOP ME NOW! I'M TOO CLOSE TO DIE!"

"You have no one to blame but yourself, Deis." Mesui said, looking at him with cold eyes. His remaining iris was now a deep purple. "I will kill you if I have to."

Deis rushed at Mesui, only to be met with a fist buried in his upper abdomen. The force caused him to cough up blood. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed Mesui's arm so he could not retreat, and threw his other fist toward his opponent's face. Mesui caught his fist with his free hand. Then, he concentrated some energy into the fist that was on Deis's stomach, attempting to make an energy blast. When Deis realized what was going on, he immediately let go of Mesui's arm and jumped back. He was lucky Mesui let go of the fist that had attempted to land a blow on his face. The blue-haired Angel stopped making the energy blast. He ripped part of his gi off of his body and tied it around his head, covering his missing eye like an eyepatch.

Deis moved backward with a panicked look on his face. _What overwhelming power…_

Mesui tied his makeshift bandage tight to help stop the bleeding, and then moved into his fighting stance once more. "The tables have turned, haven't they, Deis?" He said solemnly. "With the power given to me by our Mother, I swear that I will stop this massacre now, or die trying."


	14. A Bittersweet Victory

_Chapter XIV : A Bittersweet Victory_

A little green child with sharp teeth and a long pointy tail stood in front of 18 looming figures, as if they were inspecting him. Where they stood was the centerpoint between all of the Universes, the home of the Angels and Gods of Destruction. There were only Angels and Gods of Destruction here, but no one to lead them all. That was the first thing the little snake noticed. He looked through all of the taller people, and saw that six out of twelve of them had what looked like students next to them. The taller twelve had to be the Angels. So the six without Gods of Destruction would now fight over who would train him. He inspected the six Angels with his young, unsuspecting eyes. Then the one on the far left caught his eye. He was a tall, rugged man with slicked back white hair. He was different from the rest of them. He could see it in the man's expression. It had to be him. The snake let forth all his built up hatred toward that man, and the man smiled.

"I'll take this one." The man said.

Another to his left said, "That's fine with me, Deis. This one doesn't seem all that special." The other Angels that did not have Gods of Destruction nodded in agreement.

A shorter, younger man who was just to the right of Deis looked up at him with a suspicious face. _Deis...I don't trust you. I know you have something planned with this child. I won't let that happen._

"What is your name, newcomer?" Deis inquired.

The green boy looked into the Angels eyes and smiled. "Shihebi."

* * *

"Hey, congratulations on becoming a God of Destruction."

Shihebi looked up at the same man who was suspicious of Deis earlier that day. "Who are you?" He asked.

The man smiled. "My name's Axita."

The snake looked him up and down. "You don't look like the type to be very talkative."

Axita laughed. "I'm usually not, but I get along surprisingly well with kids."

Shihebi turned around. "I'm no kid." He retorted. "I'll have you know I'm over 150 years old."

"Well, you have a child's face and a child's mentality." Axita replied. "Hey, do you want to see how you fare against a God of Destruction in a fight?" _I have to gain his trust so that Deis won't corrupt his mind._ That is what Axita was thinking at that time.

"How do you compare to the other Gods of Destruction?" Shihebi asked.

"I'm the strongest!" Axita boasted.

Shihebi smiled. "Sure." He replied. "Let's go, then." _I have to gain his trust. It will be very handy when I execute my plan._ That is what Shihebi was thinking at the time.

* * *

Over the 100 years that Axita and Shihebi spent together as fellow Gods of Destruction, the two developed a relationship as friends as well as one as mentor and student. With Axita having much more experience as a God of Destruction than Shihebi, he spent a great deal of time teaching the snake fighting techniques and tips on how to improve his efficiency of Destruction Energy. Shihebi absorbs all of this knowledge almost instantly. He was a genius amongst the Gods of Destruction, coming this far in only 100 years. Both Axita and Shihebi were desperately trying to gain each other's trust, but only one of them had succeeded in doing so.

"Axita." Shihebi approached his friend at a time that he knew for a fact that no one was around. "I've been hiding something from you for a long time, but you deserve to know the truth."

Axita turned to face the snake. "What is it?" He asked curiously. The innocence in both of their faces reflected off of each other.

Shihebi and his his friend sat down. In the centerpoint of the Universes, there was no matter, therefore everything was made from energy. Outside of the main headquarters of the Gods and Angels, this energy was invisible, giving off the impression that Shihebi and Axita were sitting in midair. Shihebi grabbed his tail and brought the point to his front so Axita could see it clearly. From the tip of his tail, a bright yellow electricity began to form. "I can produce electricity from my tail." He explained.

"Why have you not used this power before?" Axita asked him.

Shihebi hesitated to answer. "It's just that I don't want anyone to see my secret power. That way I'll always have the upper hand in a battle."

"So it's like a last resort?"

"Yeah, I guess." Shihebi replied. "You're not mad at me for hiding it from you for so long?"

Axita smiled. "No, I understand." He said. "Let's head back to headquarters, though. It's kind of cold out here in space."

As Shihebi followed Axita back to the building, he felt a pang of guilt. Before the two of them realized it, gaining one another's trust was no longer their top priority. Shihebi trusted Axita, but he knew that one day, they would be forced to be enemies. Axita's ignorance of this was where he failed.

* * *

Deis felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see Mesui and Axita. The white-haired Angel was watching over Shihebi while he did weight training. "What are you two doing here?" He demanded. "You always come at the most obscure times."

"How's Shihebi doing?" Mesui asked, peering over Deis's shoulder to see the snake.

"He's progressing at amazing speeds, as usual." He bragged. "He's a child prodigy."

Mesui laughed. "That's great! That's what I love to see."

"Don't get cocky on me, Mesui." Deis replied. "And don't act like I'm your friend, either."

Mesui sighed. "Come on, Deis. We're friends, right? After all, I'm the only one who can stop you when you're having one of your rage fits."

Deis huffed and looked back at Shihebi. "That may be true, but I'm more concerned about getting Shihebi as strong as possible rather than being friends with you. And it won't be long until he's stronger than Axita, either."

The two of them had a strange rivalry. One was the mentor of the strongest God of Destruction, and one was the mentor of the rising star. Deis was obsessing over making his student the strongest, and he happened to notice Mesui's apathy toward keeping Axita as the strongest. Over the last 100 years or so, he had noticed that all of the other Angels were growing more and more apathetic over the years. They no longer had the desire to be the best, and being the best was a prerequisite of protecting the Universes. None of the Angels noticed Deis's signs of growing hatred toward the organization of Angels and Gods of Destruction. In fact, the only person that even was suspicious of Deis was Axita.

"I swear that Shihebi will defeat Axita one day." Deis promised.

Axita, who was silent the whole time, clenched his fists. _I hope you do, Shihebi._

This exchange happened about fifty years after Shihebi became a God of Destruction. This was roughly forty years before Shihebi revealed his lightning to Axita. Only ten days after Shihebi's display of trust, Deis left the organization of Gods and Angels, taking Shihebi with him.

* * *

 _I have to end this quickly._ Mesui thought. _Since this is the absolute limit of what my body can handle, I can only use it before my body begins to break down._

Deis, blinded by fury, began a flurry of punches and kicks directed at Mesui. The blue-haired Angel dodged them all with ease. Mesui finally retaliated with a punch that sent Deis flying backwards away from the mountain.

When he was able to stop himself, he paused for a moment as if collect his thoughts. Then, suddenly, he through his head back and screamed as he let loose all of his energy. He then clenched his fists so that his knuckles were white and blood oozed from his palms. He gritted his teeth so hard that it seemed like sparks were flying from them. "WHY CAN'T I HIT YOU?! WHY IS THIS HAPPENING _NOW_ OF ALL TIMES?!" He bellowed. "I'LL DESTROY EVERYTHING IF IT MEANS KILLING YOU!"

"Calm down, Deis." Mesui told him. "You look terrible, it pains me."

Deis's nostrils flared even wider as he shook his head slowly. "Oh, no, Mesui." She muttered. "You can't talk me out of this one." His energy began to expand even more as his muscles tensed and bulged practically out of his skin.

"This is bad." Mesui said to himself. "At this rate, the whole planet could be at risk. I have less time than I thought."

As fast as his body could carry him, he lunged through the dense Divine Energy that Deis was emitting and, putting all of his newfound power, planted his fist directly onto Deis's left cheek. Immediately on impact, Mesui felt his arm break in multiple places. He inhaled sharply through the pain, but somehow managed to pull all the way through the punch. The impact caused by Deis hitting the ground caused the whole island to tremble.

Even with the insane amount of adrenaline pumping through his body at the moment, the pain in his arm was enough to make him see stars for a while. _It broke in at least three spots, and my shoulder is dislocated, too. It's already too much for my body to handle, even though it's been less than five minutes since I got my power...and my job's not done yet. He's still alive._

Suddenly, Deis appeared from the dust created by his impact on the ground. His cheek was covered in blood, his left eye was swollen shut, and his nose was broken, but those were the only injuries he came away with.

 _How is that possible? I hit him with all my strength, but somehow he's less injured than I am!_ Mesui moved backward toward what was left at the mountain, letting Deis catch up to him. Once Deis was close enough to attack, he dodged to the right and flew around so that their positions in relation to the mountain were reversed. _His movements are slow. I can dodge him forever, but that will only eat up what little time I have left._ "I absolutely have to end this now. No more chances." He murmured.

Deis was about ready to launch himself blindly at his opponent again when Mesui's energy began to fluctuate erratically. "What...is this extreme power?" Deis seemed to regain a little bit of his sanity from the shock of what he saw Mesui creating.

The blue-haired Angel's good arm was physically bulging from the sheer amount of energy he was transferring into the palm of his hand. Pained grunts were seeping out of his clenched teeth as the ball of energy in his hands began to grow exponentially in size. When he pointed his palm at Deis, it was still growing. It was about ten meters in diameter when it finally stopped growing. At this point, Mesui couldn't even feel his left arm because of the amount of energy coursing through it. But just then all of the energy left his arm and was emptied into the giant ten meter energy ball. He felt his vision sway for a second because of the energy loss, but he was able to regain stability. _Shit,_ he thought, _I'm going to need extra energy to even shoot this thing…_ As much as he didn't want to admit it to himself, he was scared of what would happen to him when he released this attack. He tried thinking of possible scenarios, but finally realized that thinking would only make it harder for him to fire the energy ball. _I can't worry about repercussions right now, I just have to do it!_ He screamed in pain as he squeezed at out almost every last drop of energy he had in order to fire his attack at Deis, who appeared to be frozen in shock. The energy blast whistled as it flew towards the Angel. Deis shook himself out of his paralysis once he realized that the giant ball of energy was coming straight for him. He let out an intense cry as he tried to put out his hands to stop the attack. It was too late to dodge that massive blast.

Deis's eyes practically bulged out of his head when the blast made contact with his hands. "I WON'T LET AN ATTACK LIKE THIS KILL ME!" His words appeared to be empty, because the ball didn't even so much as slow down when it hit him. His eyes rolled back in his head as he let out all his energy, screaming the entire time. Mesui could hear those screams until the ball of energy hit the mountain behind Deis.

Mesui exhaled slowly as the attack completely took out what remained of the mountain with an almighty explosion. "It's over…" Mesui breathed. "I managed to save almost all my life energy, but I used up everything else." He managed to chuckle as he slowly descended from the sky. "I need a nap…" He watched the dust around the flattened mountain clear. All that was left was just a huge pile of rocks that all used to be a part of one mountain. He simply observed the damage he had caused. _There was no way anyone could have survived that blast,_ He thought.

But he was wrong.

Deis struggled to rise from the rubble. He was oozing blood from several gashes on his body from the stones of the mountain, and suffered from major burns all over his chest and face. His eyes were still rolled back in his head and his teeth were clenched shut, but his was quiet.

Mesui saw Deis. He didn't have time to be surprised, because his consciousness could no longer keep him awake. He had lost.

* * *

The exploding of the mountain startled the huge green figure that loomed over Axita injured and mangled body.

"Wow." He said. "Mesui launched that blast?"

From under him, Axita managed, "That's right, Shihebi. Mesui has won."

Shihebi, who was now pushing eight feet tall, leaned down to his opponent. "That's incorrect." He said. "Deis is most definitely alive. I can still sense his energy." Shihebi had not only grown taller, but had almost completely transformed. His hair was a blood red color, his face was much sharper, and he had grown huge spikes extending up and outward from his shoulder blades.

Axita realized that Mesui was going to die. "Damn...we completely lost…"

"You impressed me, Axita." Shihebi said. There was a hint of sadness in his voice. "You made me use this form, which I've never used as a God of Destruction before."

Axita forced a smile, coming to peace with the situation. "No, you impressed me, Shihebi. You really haven't ever lied to me…"

Shihebi knelt down next to Axita. "I'm sorry it had to end this way, and I'm sorry I misled you for so many years." He apologized. His words were sincere. "You were too good to me. But I guess that being friends backfired for both of us."

"No…" Axita muttered. "I'm glad we were friends. I'm glad I was able to keep you from being corrupted by Deis. Even now, I can tell that you have your own goals seperate from Deis's." Axita struggled to roll onto his back. He smiled at Shihebi, and said, "I'm proud of you. You've become an honorable person."

Shihebi couldn't look into the eyes of his dying friend any longer. As he looked away, he told Axita, "I can end your life instantly with my lightning in this form. I don't want you to suffer any more than you have to."

"I hope you can accomplish your goals." Axita whispered as his final words. He closed his eyes.

Shihebi lifted his tail and pointed the end at Axita's heart. He concentrated his energy into making as much lightning as he could, then drove the tip of his tail into the ground. Axita's heart stopped. He felt no pain. Only Shihebi did.


	15. Yugotensei

_Chapter XV: Yugotensei_

"Woah…" Deis managed as he staggered over to Mesui. "That was insane. I knew he was determined, but I didn't actually think he'd blow his arm off…" He chuckled as he bent down to pick up the unconscious Mesui. The Angel was lying face down on the ground just before where the debris began to cover the dirt. His broken arm was at his waist, twisted and mangled. His other arm was a stump that ended right above his elbow. A black char extended up from the stump to about where his shoulder and bicep met. Deis hoisted him up onto his back. "Up you go." He muttered to himself. He seemed to be calm now. "I'm lucky to be alive right now...if it wasn't for my rage I would no doubt have been killed by that attack. In fact, my rage is still the only thing keeping me alive right now. I'm just also a little excited." Deis turned around and started walking back to the mountain. "Alright, let's see if we can find a nice spot to perform the ritual."

* * *

Dalton immediately woke up once Mesui lost consciousness and his barrier went down. At the moment the barrier was released, there was still a massive power level present at the island. _Oh, shit! Mesui and Deis was planning to fight tonight!_ Dalton thought to himself, panicked. _With all that happened today, I forgot all about it!_

It took him awhile to remember where he was at the current moment. It was his own room, not the lookout. After his encounter with Sakumi, he had been flying without a destination and happened to pass over his house. He thought he would stop by and visit with his mom, but she seemed distraught and he couldn't bring himself to leave her only an hour or two after dropping by, so he ended up staying the night. She was obviously upset over something Dominick had done again. After spending almost half of his life without parents, his mother was the one person he cherished, up until recently. _Dominick, you can't keep causing distress for Mom._

He got out of bed and noticed that the power level he had sensed was gone. _Looks like it's been resolved already._ He passed through the doorway to his bedroom, feeling his way through the dark until his eyes adjusted. _I should go check it out anyway. It shouldn't take that long._ As he passed by his mother's room, he smiled. _I'll be back soon, Mom._ He didn't know why he didn't visit her more often.

* * *

Gogito and Kibito Kai jumped up from their resting position as soon as they felt the power level. No words had to be spoken. They both knew the situation. Within five seconds, the two had left the palace in the sky.

"That power level is massive." Kibito told Gogito after about a minute of flying. "Do you think you guys can beat it?"

Gogito hesitated. "I don't know."

Just then, the huge amount of energy they were feeling vanished. Both men stopped in their tracks.

"What happened?" Gogito asked the Kai.

"I...don't know." He responded. "Normally a power level would diminish, but it never disappears."

"Whoever it was probably died or fell unconscious." Gogito suggested.

Kibito Kai shook his head violently. "Let's go check it out anyway. We can't be too careful."

The two of them arrived at the island about ten minutes after the power level disappeared. Upon getting closer, they sensed two power levels, both of which were very low.

"Let's split up." Kibito Kai said. "If you run into Deis, then you can deal with him. If I run into him, I know how to communicate telepathically, so I can get ahold of you if I need it."

Both of them flew off to the different power levels. Kibito Kai found his first.

Shihebi was carrying Axita to a hole that he'd made in the ground just before. "What to you want?" He demanded. His eyes were heavy with the same emptiness as when he fought Martin. "I'm not in the mood to play with you right now."

The kai shook his head. "You don't have a choice. Your injured enough to where even I could take you down."

The snake sighed. "Deis killed Mesui already." He told him. "If you want to stop him from achieving Yugotensei, you should probably hurry. I saw your friend heading over to him. Does he have what it takes?"

Kibito Kai laughed. "Of course-" he paused. _What am I thinking? This is Gogito we're talking about. If anything he'll let Deis achieve his power._ At this thought, Kibito Kai launched himself in the opposite direction.

* * *

"Hey, you're just in time." Deis sneered when Gogito landed about a hundred meters away from him. He arrived at his destination only about ten seconds after Kibito Kai arrived at his.

Without saying anything, Gogito dashed toward the Angel and sent his right fist at his face. It was stopped by an invisible barrier around Deis.

"Ah, if that's what you're here for, I'm afraid you missed your opportunity." Deis chuckled. "I meant you were just in time to witness my ultimate power firsthand. It was over the moment the wooden stake was in his wretched heart."

Gogito got a good look at Mesui's body. Aside from his blue hair, his face was unrecognizable. His right arm was broken in multiple places, and his left arm seemed to have been blown completely off right above the elbow. Many of these wounds were inflicted after the fight was over. "Alright." Gogito responded. "I'll wait here. Just hurry it up."

He had finally found a good rock to sit on when Kibito Kai appeared over the mountain looking panicked. "What the hell are you doing?!"

Gogito pointed back at the Angel. "There's nothing to be done." He said. "He's already begun transforming."

"Damn." The Kai muttered.

"It's alright." Gogito said. "I'm kind of looking forward to this."

"Of course you are."

Deis looked back at Mesui's corpse. "That's all of it." He smiled. "It's time, finally." Purple steam began rising from his body, and pretty soon his entire being began to glow a poison-like purple color. He muscles began to twitch and his veins bulged and pulsed on his arms and neck. He began to yell as if he was in pain. His hair grew even longer than it was before. The purple glow around him became so bright it was blinding, and a strong wind was generated from his body, forcing the two onlookers to plant their feet in the dirt and cover their eyes. Just when they thought they were going to be blown completely off the ground, the wind suddenly died down.

It was when the light had died down enough for Gogito and Kibito Kai to see that Dominick, Dalton, and Martin arrived.

"Is that Deis?" Martin asked.

Gogito nodded in response.

"He's so strong…" Dominick murmured. "Stronger than Majin Buu." The power they were feeling was immense, but it was more manageable than the one they had felt when the barrier first went down. The difference in power seemed to be pushed under everyone's radar because of the urgency of the situation at hand. There was a moment of silence as everyone intently stared at the cloud of dust surrounding Deis. "I got a message from Mesui when the barrier went down." Dominick said, breaking the silence. "It seemed to be linked to the barrier and set up to play in my mind once the barrier was released. It explained the mission in full detail, and what he truly wanted."

 _'Once this message plays for you, that message means I'm either dead or victorious. To be honest, it's probably the former. I want to give you a full explanation as to what I meant in my request. As an Angel, stopping Deis is my responsibility, and mine alone. I requested your help just in case I couldn't carry out my duties. I need you to stop Deis for me now that I'm dead. I think you're the only one who can do it. I sense a vast amount of potential in you to surpass your brother and your teacher, Gogito. They both probably underestimate the power of Yugotensei. I entrust the safety of the Universes to you. I have faith in you, Dominick.'_

"Let me take this one alone, guys." Dominick growled. "Mesui left him up to me. And look. Deis completely defiled Mesui's dead body. I have no respect for a guy like that."

"Alone?" Kibito Kai asked, shocked. "But you said he was stronger than Majin Buu!"

Martin laughed. "What do you think we've been doing these past four years? We could take down Buu easily now!"

Dominick smiled and powered up to Super Saiyan 4. Then, the dust around Deis finally began to thin and clear out. The man standing in his place hardly even resembled Deis. They looked similar, but their whole atmosphere was completely different. The previous Deis seemed so childish compared to this one. His aura was dominating. The intimidating aura was accompanied by a smug smirk and a cold pair of purple eyes. His beard had grown and now extended down to about his sternum. None of those properties were the one that sent shivers down everyone's spines as they looked at this new being. The one that caught everyone off guard was the vertical slit on his forehead between his eyes. As he stood in front of his stunned enemies, the slit began to twitch and pull itself apart, revealing a third eye. The eye had an iris of the same shade of purple as the other two eyes, but the third's pupil was white and was a perfect tall rhombus shape. There was nothing angelic about this transformation.

"So." Deis said. "This is the power of _Yugotensei_."

Dalton's sword erupted in flames. "I'll take you down right here, old man." He said, starting toward the Angel. "Don't think this transformation makes you suddenly stronger than me."

Martin jumped in to stop him. "Woah, there." He grabbed the back of Dalton's shirt. "We agreed to let Dom take this guy on. You and I will go take the other guy."

Dalton scowled. "Fine." The two of them began walking back toward Dominick. Dalton looked his brother in the eye. "This doesn't mean I've forgiven you." With that statement, the two of them flew off to go face Shihebi.

Dominick saw them off. _Forgive me? For what?_ He wondered. He looked back at Deis. He started toward the Angel, but was stopped with a sudden question.

"Why do you fight me?" Deis asked. "My cause is a noble one. I only want the protection of the Universe."

Dominick pointed at him. "I don't care what your reason is. You haven't hesitated to annihilate anyone in your way."

"They were preventing the protection of innocent lives." Deis preached. "They were, as a result, a threat to everyone's safety."

"If you're cause was so justified, why did you beat Mesui's body beyond recognition?" Dominick demanded. "There was no need for that."

Deis's face scrunched in anger. "Don't talk to me like you're above me, boy. Mesui was evil. He sought to make the Angels a group of complacent dolls who didn't care if the Universes were at risk." He sneered. "He deserved every bit of that."

Dominick gave the Angel a disgusted look.

"You're no better than Mesui, any of you!" Deis yelled. "People like you with power are obligated to protect the people who can't be protected. You are the reason I have to do this!" He threw his head back and screamed, letting out his newfound power. With this powerup, the ground around him was essentially dissolved and an earthquake was sent in every direction within a radius of ten miles.

"What is this…?" Dominick stammered. "His power rivals gramps' when he beat Buu!"

Kibito Kai heard this and looked up at Gogito. "Is this true?" He inquired.

"Yeah."

"Do you think Dominick can beat him?" He asked.

Gogito paused. "Probably not."

"Could you?"

Gogito had to think harder about this one. "I think so."

Deis got into a fighting position and flared his nostrils at Dominick. "Thanks to you, my good mood from earlier is ruined." He clenched his fist, then raised it and pointed it at his opponent. "For the sake of the Universes, I will destroy you!"


	16. The Desire to Reach One's Goal

_Chapter XVI : The Desire to Reach One's Goal_

"I'm not in the mood to fight you guys right now." Shihebi said as Dalton and Martin stood directly in front of him.

Dalton turned around. "Fine by me." He said. "I don't want to waste my time with a weakling like you."

Martin folded his arms. "Too bad."

Shihebi rolled his eyes. "Where have I heard _that_ before?" He sat down next to Axita's grave. "I'll tell you what. I'll tell you all about Deis's plans."

Dalton turned back to face Shihebi. "Why?"

He smiled. "Because I feel like it. I'm not necessarily a fan of Deis myself, either." Looking up at the two of them, he proceeded. "Deis's ultimate goal is to master Divinity."

"Divinity?" Dalton asked. "You mean he wants to master the use of Divine Energy?"

The snake shook his head. "No, Divinity is something completely different. It is one of the seven original ways of obtaining power, and the only one that is impossible for mortals to master. Although, it might as well be impossible to master any of them for anyone. No one alive today has ever done it, except for the Mother of the Angels, the Creator of the Universes. I'd be hard pressed to call her a person, though. The last man to even get close to mastering any one of these abilities was from this universe, I believe, although his existence is only a rumor. He was Kyono Yogan of the Volcano, who achieved ninety percent mastery of Strength."

Dalton frowned. "Why are you giving us a history lesson?" He demanded impatiently.

Shihebi looked him straight in the eyes and said, "because I'm bored." He grabbed a nearby stick and pointed it at Dalton. "Now shut up and listen or I'll kill you both right here. I'm a lot older than you two and have been through too fucking much in my life, so when I get bored, I start to think, and when I start to think, I remember the shit I'd rather not remember. This is how I keep myself from thinking, so just keep quiet."

Martin sat down now. "So there's Divinity and Strength, so what are the other five?"

In response, Shihebi began drawing a diagram in the sand. It looked like a hexagon with a line sticking up from the uppermost point. The snake drew in circles at all six points, and then one more at the end of the line. With his stick, he pointed at the last circle he drew. "At the very top, separated from the rest of the abilities, is Divinity. I've already been over this one." Next, he dragged the stick down to the top of the hexagon. "The ability closest to Divinity is Wisdom, which is pretty self explanatory. Power is gained through vast knowledge of techniques and transformations." Next, he pointed at the upper right point. "Pain is more difficult to master for some races than others. It's basically proof of the statement 'no pain, no gain'. Some races have the advantage of gaining immense strength when they are hurt physically." Dalton noticed that was exactly the same as the zenkai boost. Next was the lower right point. "Strength is the sheer amount of energy one has coursing through their body. It was told in stories that Kyono could bend light with the sheer magnitude of his energy."

Martin shook his head. "There's no way that could be possible. Only black holes can bend light, and they have almost infinite density."

"Not only is it possible, but it's even more impressive than you think. Energy doesn't even have a mass, so the amount needed to bend light is literally incomprehensible." Shihebi said.

Dalton scoffed. "You don't know what you're talking about. Deis said that his Divine Energy could exert more gravity than the Earth."

Shihebi gave Dalton a blank stare. "You believed him?" He asked. "He was fucking with you, trying to scare you. Divine energy is constantly in a cycle of moving the energy from the outside toward the inside in order to keep its shape. That current and effect objects close to it, but saying it has its own gravity is ridiculous. But, since all the energy is being pushed toward the inside, new energy has to applied to keep its size, and once it is released, all of the energy compress into a point in the middle can be expanded at will. Honestly, it was a believable trick."

"That stupid old man…" Dalton cursed.

Shihebi slapped his stick onto the bottom corner of the hexagon, and drew a dotted line straight up to Wisdom. "This is Instinct. It is in a way opposite to Wisdom. Wisdom means having nearly infinite knowledge, and Instinct allows your body to move without said knowledge. Most beings in the Universes have some sort of grasp on Instinct from birth." He moved the stick up to the lower left corner and drew a dotted line to Pain. "This one is Sadness, or 'emotional pain', so it's linked to pain. This is like witnessing a friend die or something like that." He glanced back at Axita's grave out of the corner of his eyes, then moved up to the top right and drew a dotted line down to Strength. "The last one is Will, or 'emotional strength'. This is arguably the hardest ability to master, because it is similar to Pain and Sadness, but requires one to actually break through the walls placed on them."

"I guess you're really not a kid." Martin said after studying the diagram for a while.

"Why are the six besides Divinity in pairs?" Dalton asked.

Shihebi looked up at the sky as if trying to think of an answer. "Who knows?" He eventually responded.

Dalton walked up to Shihebi and bent over toward Shihebi's ear. "Why don't you kill us?" Shihebi kept looking forward. "Nothing is stopping you. I know you could do it." Dalton looked back to see if there was any reaction in Shihebi's face. There wasn't. "That power we all felt when the barrier went down...that was you, wasn't it? The time from when it disappeared to when we got here would have been just enough for you to power down and bury Axita. And to be honest, Deis's power level right now isn't on that level."

Shihebi leaned back after a long pause. "I have nothing against you guys. You seem like good people." He smiled. "I'm really just along for the ride with Deis. I think he has a noble goal." Dalton didn't believe him. The two weren't a team. He had never seen them cooperate, so much as get along with each other. "Go help your friends." Shihebi sighed as he got up, pushing Dalton away from him. "Even if you kill him, it won't matter to me. My own goals are much more important to me than Deis."

"That's all the more reason we should stop you here." Martin interjected.

"That will not happen," Shihebi laughed, "I am much more powerful than the two of you combined." He folded his arms, creasing his tattered brown gi into his body. "Do you not remember? You dropped to your knees because I channeled some energy to you through my eyes."

"He's right." Dalton spoke up with a complete reversal of attitude. After making the connection of the mysteriously huge power level, he had a sudden desire to measure his own abilities. "And you haven't fought me yet."

"Are you challenging me?" Shihebi asked. His eyes remained sunken and cold. His skin seemed a more pale green than usual.

"What else would I be doing?"

Shihebi grunted as he got into a defensive stance. "Come, then."

* * *

Deis's third eye searched around the area, reading Dominick's upcoming attacks. With every punch and kick that Dominick made, a ring-like shockwave was released as the Angel parried.

"Are you even trying?" Deis demanded. "Not that I expected anything more than this, but you aren't even as strong as that boy Dalton!"

That last remark made Dominick flinch, then the quick reaction turned to irritation. Facing the opposite direction of Deis, he planted his foot firmly in the ground and launched back directly at Deis with a speed more than five times that of the last few minutes. Before the Angel had time to react to the sudden burst of speed, his face was already being plowed by Dominick's left fist. Dominick twisted his fist upon impact, and the Angel was sent to the ground, rolling for about ten meters. "I could ask you the same thing." Dominick retorted with a proud half-smile.

Deis hoisted himself partially up on an elbow. Twisting his head around, he snarled. "My answer is no." He pushed himself up, dusting his white pants and the backs of his forearm where he had held himself up earlier. "Would you like me to use more of my power? I did not think you would want to be utterly embarrassed in front of your peers."

Dominick chuckled at the follow-up statement. "Go ahead and use your full power." He scoffed. "I doubt you can embarrass me."

The Angel bent his knees and tucked his elbows into his sides, as if to release a powerful two-handed blast. "We will see." He sneered. "Even I don't know what I'm capable of in this form." Before he finished that sentence, Dominick felt an intense heat hit his body with a force of a wind gust that could knock down a palm tree. The ground around Deis could not withstand the pressure his body was putting out, and began to form a crater with himself as the center. Suddenly, the heat stopped. Deis looked exactly the same, and seemed to emit no more energy than before. Dominick knew that was because of his Divine Energy.

The Angel dug the ball of his foot into the loose dirt at the bottom of his crater and propelled himself toward his opponent in what looked like a blur of white and purple light. Before Dominick could react, he was already inches from him. Deis grabbed his face with what felt like a machine's grip and plowed the back of his head into the dirt just beyond the foot of the crater. Without having time to react, Dominick lost his breath and panicked, grabbing Deis's wrist and flailing his feet about, but to no avail. Deis released his grip from Dominick's face, but before he could take a full breath, the Angel punched his head further into the ground with full force, and then once more, leaving Dominick with a bloodied nose and cuts in his mouth from his own teeth. He was expecting another punch to come, but when he realized what was coming instead, he would have taken another punch any day. He saw a blue-green light radiating from the Angel's hand; it was a Divine Energy blast. Without thinking twice, he regained control of the lower half of his body, digging his knee into Deis's abdomen as hard as he could. In the second it took for Deis to wince in pain, Dominick managed to slip out from under his opponent.

Deis looked up at him. "Don't run from me!" He shouted, then he shot the Divine Energy from his palm. The distance between them gave Dominick just enough time to bend backwards as the blast passed about two inches above his chest. He could feel its heat as it passed over him. Dominick fell all the way back and put his palms on the floor behind him, preventing him from falling. With his backward momentum, he brought his feet into the air and used his arms to propel him up and backward, gaining even more distance between him and the Angel. He completed two backflips in midair before coming to a stop about ten meters off the ground and fifty meters away from Deis.

As he was trying to plan his next move as quickly as possible, one that would outsmart the Angel, he realized that the Angel was no longer where he had been. He looked around, then made eye contact with Gogito. "Where'd he go?" He yelled.

Gogito's eyes widened, and Dominick realized the situation he was in. Before his mentor could speak out, he felt the heat of Deis's aura upon him. He felt a sharp and deep pain as the Angel's elbow dug into his upper back. The force sent him tumbling to the ground. During his descent, his body flipped over and he landed on his back, knocking the wind out of him. For a couple seconds, he lied on the ground. It seemed like the sky was spinning and all of the strength had been drained out of him. When he was finally able to catch his breath again, he tried to get up as quickly as possible, but the Angel was already standing in front of him, ready to deliver a fatal blow. However, Dominick had already guessed he was not have enough time to get off the ground, so he had already been preparing to counter his next attack. Time seemed to slow as Deis wound his fist behind him in order to use his full strength in this next punch. The wind stopped blowing through the trees, which had been the only audible sound prior to this moment. The moon seemed to shine brighter than before, and with Deis being positioned directly between it and Dominick, the moonlight reflecting off of Deis's white hair gave off a godly essence, but when compared with the lack of said moonlight on his face and the slight glow of his purple third eye, it was as if his divinity had been severely corrupted.

"This is the end." He said with a tone of disappointment.

Before he could launch his attack, Gogito flew in from his right side, the golden hair of a Super Saiyan shining just as brightly in the night. Deis saw the oncomer out of the corner of his eye and decided to divert his attention to blocking Gogito's attack. Dominick's muscles relaxed when he saw his mentor, and realized it was because of relief. That relief quickly turned to shame in his own cowardice. He had unconsciously been afraid of an enemy stronger than Majin Buu, and this opponent fit that description. He was relieved because he had held his mentor in such a high regard that he believed no one could beat him. He believed he was saved. Mentally, he had already lost this battle.

When he looked up, he almost lost his breath again. Deis had stopped Gogito's attack with just _one_ hand. Gogito, the one who completely destroyed Majin Buu. The one who was thought to be untouchable. The ultimate warrior. His attack had almost no effect on this Angel. They were in a different league from Dominick. Then his wonder turned to anger directed at himself.

"Gogito." He said. "Don't interfere."

"What are you talking about, Dominick?" Gogito replied. "You know you can't…" He trailed off.

Dominick chuckled to himself as he slowly rose to his feet. Wiping the blood from his chin, he retorted, "If I can't even put up a fight against this guy, how am I ever going to catch up to you?"


	17. Dig Deeper

_Chapter XVII : Dig Deeper_

Dominick glared at Gogito until he reluctantly backed down. As he started back over to where Kibito Kai was, he looked back at his student. "Don't die." He said. No answer was given. He acted tough in order to better himself, but that fact remained that he was still scared. Living for nineteen years didn't give as much wisdom as he had presumed.

"You're a foolish child." Deis scolded. "A true fighter knows when he is overwhelmed."

Dominick scowled. "I know as of now, you're stronger than me. But in order for me to get stronger, there's no way I can back down here."

"Like I said," he pointed his palm at Dominick, "foolish." Without warning, dozens of blue-green energy balls the size of tennis balls began to fire rapidly from his palm. Dominick dove into the surrounding trees in order to conceal himself, but it was to no avail. He was able to dodge the first ten or so, but once the first one hit, about a dozen followed. Several hit him in the lower abdomen, causing him to cough up blood. Too focused on the pain of being hit by multiple blasts, he continued to fly backward and smacked into a tree, then fell to the ground.

On the ground, Dominick sensed out Deis's position in relation to his own. At the moment, the Angel was still. _Is he coming toward me? Or is he waiting?_ He didn't wait to find out. Deciding to use an energy blast for the first time in this fight, he instinctively reached across his belt with his left hand to draw his sword. The long, sleek blade was much more efficient at transferring energy than his palms, he had found out when he first began to use the sword at age eleven. When he felt the rivets of his black hilt on his fingers, he jerked his head around to make sure what he felt was real. He had reached back out of habit, but he had not actually brought the sword with him when coming to the island. In that moment that he took his eyes off of Deis, the Angel closed the distance between them.

"Don't take your eyes off of your enemy, boy." He scolded.

As he raised his arm to send a punch, Dominick slashed his sword upward about thirty degrees from the vertical in a panicked attempt to gain some more distance between them. In his own arrogance, Deis didn't realize that Dominick's hand was on his sword's hilt. When the blade was unveiled, the Angel did not have enough time to completely avoid the attack, which had three times the range he had anticipated. With his tremendous speed, he was able to avoid a deep wound, but the blade did make contact with the skin, ripping open his angelic white gi and drawing more than several drops of blood. Dominick was surprised when his blade made contact with something, almost causing him to hesitate in retreating further; however, it would not have mattered. Deis winced for a split second from the shock, but instantly overcame it and grabbed the top of Dominick's head.

Tightening his grip, he snarled. "Look what you've done." He gestured to the slash in his chest. "Make sure you take a good look." He smiled, and his wound began to closed before their very eyes. Wide-eyed, Dominick stared at Deis's chest.

There was a glow that began to spill from the third eye of the Angel. Dominick looked up at the eye and was almost blinded, but he couldn't look away. He felt his energy starting to fade. _He's absorbing my energy..!_ He tried to move his arm again to swing his sword, but his body would not move as he told it to. _Move…_ He told himself. _I'm stuck...I have to move!_ Gritting his teeth and flexing all of his muscles in the effort, he instinctively shut his eyes. Suddenly, his arms and legs started flailing in every direction with such force that he surprised even himself. He wasn't the only one that was surprised, either. Deis, expecting him to still be paralyzed immediately let go of his head and jumped back to avoid any attacks. Dominick, still unable to clearly see his surroundings, began to sense out Deis's energy and launched attacks with his sword based on the images he caught of his opponent. It became apparent that the both of them were fighting blind. Dominick was barely making any contact with his opponent, and when he did, all he felt was what seemed like a hard surface that even his sword could barely cut through. When his vision began to return to him, he almost thought that it was daytime. Only about four minutes had passed since his fight began, so there was no way it was day already. _What's that light..?_ He looked around for a second, but not at the place of where he thought the source was. He was too afraid he would be paralyzed once again. Then he laid eyes on his own sword. It was encased in a sky blue liquid-like aura, which was nothing new. What really took him by surprise was the fact that the blade had turned completely white, and seemed to be shining like a flashlight. It was as if he was the only one not blinded by it.

"Damn you and your foolish games, child!" Deis cried. "Do you really think taking away my vision will secure your victory? I am above the sensory perceptions of mortals!" Covering his eyes with one arm and using the other for his attack, he reached out and grabbed the blade of Dominick's sword.

Dominick gave a nervous chuckle. "That's my blade, you idiot. Be careful where you grab, or you might get cut." He said as he tried to swing his blade to sever the Angel's fingers from his hand. The blade didn't move. Deis's arm remained still.

"I need not be careful when I am a holy being." He scoffed. "I've simply put a layer of protective energy around my hand, one that the energy surrounding your sword cannot pierce." He yanked the sword from Dominick's hand and tossed it behind him all the way to where the mountain had been. "No more weapons. Only fists."

Dominick gulped in response to how easily his sword had been ripped out of his hand. Now that the adrenaline of the previous situation was wearing off, he began to grow weary. Deis's eye had absorbed more energy than he had thought. He didn't know for how much longer he could keep using Super Saiyan 4. Slowly, he nodded in agreement to the terms. He had to think of something that would give him a fighting chance against this monster.

* * *

Shihebi lunged at Dalton with an apathetic attempt to put down the opposition to his rest. Instead of launching an attack with one of his limbs, he twisted completely backwards and used his tail as a whip to catch Dalton off guard. His tail hit something that felt like a pole and wrapped itself around it.

Dalton, with the God of Destruction's tail wrapped around his forearm, drew his double-edged sword, the blade erupting in flames as soon as it left the sheath. He wound his arm back, motioning as if to cut off Shihebi's tail. The snake quickly let go of Dalton's arm when he turned his head to see what he had made contact with. He lept back to regroup, but Dalton chased after him, his flames lighting up the red fur on his body. Shihebi continued to retreat, and Dalton continued to chase him. His sword looked as if it was a tornado of fire as he twirled it. Soon, the two of them flew away from the coastline of the island and out above the vast ocean itself. This whole time, Shihebi was only barely evading Dalton's swings of the sword.

"Enough." The snake muttered under his breath.

Dalton witnessed him grow to about three times his original size. He watched his hair grow past his shoulder and boney spikes jet out from his shoulder blades. Not only had he grown in size, but also in power and speed. Dalton, unable to counter his forward momentum in time, ran straight into the God of Destruction's fist. The blow sent him skidding on the water, almost all the way back to the shore of the island. The initial shock of the punch kept him from recovering for over five seconds, but apparently that was plenty of time. When he managed to get up again and look at the snake, he was back to his normal child form.

"That's what it was." Dalton said. "The power we felt." No answer. "You seem to contradict yourself a lot, Shihebi. You say you don't want to fight us, so you'd think you would use that insane power of yours to finish it quickly."

Shihebi sighed. "No, you don't understand. It's not that I won't use it, it's that I can't."

"What do you mean?" Dalton demanded. "You just used it at will, didn't you?"

"I did, but only because it met the requirements I placed for myself to use that power." He explained. Dalton looked at him, confused. "Until I accomplish my goal, I am still a child." He said. "I live by that rule. The only times I am allowed to use that power are once I have accomplished that goal, and in situations that require it to make my goal a reality. In other words, to prevent myself from dying."

Dalton started toward the God. "So what is this goal that is so important to you?"

Shihebi thought for awhile, as if deciding whether or not to answer. After a couple of seconds, he gave one. "I can't say it's to avenge my race, since I hate them just as much as the one who enslaved us." He stopped to think again, then started once more. "I don't want what happened to my race to happen to anyone else, I guess."

Dalton was almost bewildered. "How can you say you hate your own race?"

The snake shook his head slowly. "You of all people should be able to understand. I can tell your emotions are in turmoil just by looking at you. Like you're going through the hatred of betrayal. It seems not to have fully sunk in yet." There was silence. "Judging by your lack of a denial, I would say I'm right. Well, it's not like I can't relate." He took one step toward Dalton. "After Universe Twelve was taken over by Emperor Detombe du Rois, he enslaved every intelligent form of life in the Universe. Our race, being the one with the strongest average power level, was treated the cruelest of them all. In almost no time at all, his immortality and his overwhelming power drained every last drop of morale from my race. We became selfish, willing to do anything to cling on to our own lives. My older brother killed our mother to avoid torture. Then, he himself was killed shortly after, by me."

Dalton's mind wandered back to the dream-or vision, rather-of his father being killed by Dominick thirteen years ago. With how he'd been neglecting their mother, it wouldn't be long until he became emotionally detached and did the same to her. Hatred began to well up inside of him at the thought.

"You remind me of myself." The snake told him. "That could either help you end up destroying you."

A fiery aura began to swell around Dalton, evaporating the water below him and creating several wisps of steam rising around him. "I won't give in to hatred. I'll never betray…" He could not bring himself to finish. His eyes had become red with the fire he held within him, his pupils were slits, and his canine teeth almost doubled in length.

"But why?" Shihebi asked. "This hate has increased your power tenfold. Use it to protect those you love from those who would betray you."

Dalton violently shook his head. "Shut up!" He couldn't admit that the one who betrayed him was the one he looked up to most of all. In a blind rage, he lunged himself at the God of Destruction. Before he reached his opponent, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

At first, he thought it was Martin, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw the red sleeve of the jacket that Android Thirteen wore. At this, he turned his whole body around to face the android with a look that asked why he was interfering.

Thirteen answered the silent question with a warm smile, soothing Dalton's built up rage. "Calm down." He said. "And fill me in on what's happening here."

* * *

Dominick's head thudded onto the ground, his hair soaked with blood. The shadowy figure of Deis loomed over him with his back to the moon. The only visible feature on his face was his glowing purple eye in the center of his forehead.

Kibito Kai looked up at Gogito questioningly. "Wouldn't this be a good time to put your foot down? Take him out of the fight?"

Gogito just looked onward. "I was foolish earlier. Don't you feel Dominick's spirit? It's not the spirit of one who's lost this fight." He smiled. "That kid's got so much more in him than any of us can imagine."

The Angel frowned as his prey rose before him once more. Dominick's biceps trembled just to hold him up on his knees. He gritted his teeth, trying to tell himself to stop shaking and fight, but his body wouldn't move. He was barely even keeping his Super Saiyan 4 state. He painstakingly scraped at the bottom of the barrel of his energy well, and then… Gogito was right, Dominick hadn't lost this fight, but the master could never have predicted what would happen next.

Deis roared and raised his fist for a killing blow. "STOP GETTING UP AND JUST DIE, CHILD!" He lowered his fist down at the seemingly broken warrior, but it was stopped, and by none other than that broken warrior himself. And with what seemed like little to no effort.

The battlefield stood silent. Gogito and Kibito Kai watched in awe as a golden aura slowly was emitted from Dominick's body.

"There's no way." Kibito Kai stammered. "Could he be powering down to a super saiyan?"

Gogito, for once, was just as taken aback as the Kai. "No, feel closer. His power is rising, and at a ridiculous rate." His eyes widened further. "His hair is still brown. Could this be...the 'False Super Saiyan'?"

Kibito Kai looked up at Gogito, confused. "'False Super Saiyan'? What's that?" He asked.

"A form that I achieved as Goku while fighting a Namekian called Lord Slug." He explained, still not taking his eyes off of Dominick. "In return for more power, I temporarily gave up all consciousness and reason."

"But that means…"

"Yeah." Gogito replied. "Dominick will we thrown into a frenzy and lose himself temporarily." A small, uncertain smirk formed on Gogito's face. "But in return, he will likely surpass even my full strength for that time period." Both of them silently took that fact in. This could end the fight much earlier than expected. "But still I never thought this form would be possible while in the form of a Super Saiyan 4. I guess it makes sense, since Super Saiyan 4 isn't really a legitimate form of Super Saiyan-" He stopped after stumbling upon this realization. "That could only mean...my suspicions were correct." His smirk grew to a smile.

Deis jerked his fist back, but it would not remove itself from the grip of Dominick's new power. "Let go." He snarled. There was no response. His eyes suddenly widened and his nostrils flared. "LET GO OF MY FUCKING HAND, YOU FILTHY HUMAN!" He boomed.

Dominick let go after that, but before he even had the chance to shake off the pain in his knuckles, Dominick's fist was planted in his right cheek. The blow sent him flying all the way back into the forest. He stood up straight and looked up at the night sky. For the first time, his eyes belonged to neither him nor the evil that existed within him. They were the eyes of a true saiyan.


	18. A Robot and a Snake

_Chapter XVIII : A Robot and a Snake_

Dalton had just finished explaining the details to 13 when they felt the spike in Dominick's energy.

"That bastard…" Martin murmured. "He went and did it again."

Shihebi gazed off into the general direction of where his Angel was. _This could be a problem._

Dalton's fists clenched. He'd been surpassed again, but this time it was more personal. He was no longer sure that his brother was on his side.

Android 13 chuckled. "He's gone and beaten all of us, hasn't he?" He lifted his hand and pointed a finger at Shihebi. "Don't think you're off the hook just because you're not fighting him. I've got somewhat of a new power-up myself." He looked back at Dalton. "Do you mind if I take over for a bit?"

Dalton shook himself out of his anger so he could give an answer. "Go ahead. I need a little while to cool off."

13 approached Shihebi. "What's a little kid like you doing out here on the battlefield?" He asked.

"I can tell you have enough experience to know I've been around for longer than a little while." Shihebi retorted apathetically.

The android smiled as he stopped approaching the God. "I suppose you're right. In that case, I think I'll transform now. I hope you'll start taking this seriously." The smile melted.

"That won't happen." Shihebi told him.

"Then I apologize." Then, his muscles began to tighten and bulge. Black streaks began to paint themselves under his eyes and on his chest. His long hair stood up, ejecting the hat he wore from his head. His hair also turned from white to black. His red shirt and jacket seemed to be absorbed into his body as his skin turned silver. His eyes, instead of glowing yellow like they used to, glowed black. It seemed like the black stripes on his face were extensions of his eyes. Lastly, a giant, all too familiar tail sprouted from his spine. The form was the same as his old "blue skin" form, but at the same time, he was a completely different person.

Dalton stared in wonder at what stood before him. _That form...it's the same as six years ago. He could only have gotten this new power from the one he hates the most. Why would he…no, for what purpose did he seek this power? There has to be a purpose; some drive for him to obtain power from his sworn enemy._

"I know what you're thinking, Dalton." 13 responded to his thoughts. "And, no. There is no purpose. I only wanted greater power." He felt the questioning eyes on his back. "Another thing: Molecule is not the being that I hate the most. There is something, or I should say a certain group, that I despise more than anything, but I have come to terms with that hatred. Even still you'd be wise to be careful where you stand within that group."

Dalton felt his stomach drop a little bit with that last bit. _Where I stand? I'm a part of the group that he hates?_ He felt himself unable to take his eyes off that form he remembered from six years ago, the one that he fought and killed during Molecule's attempt to destroy the Universe. _13, are you really still on our side?_

The android probably read those thoughts too, but chose not to answer this time.

Shihebi gave a little smirk at this new form. "I like the tail." He remarked.

13 rolled his head back and sighed. "Now I'm in a bad mood." He murmured. "Looks like I have no choice but to take it out on you, God.

"That makes two of us in shitty moods now." Shihebi said. "Why don't we not fight, and just wither away in our sorrows for a bit?"

"Sorry, but that's not going to happen." 13 responded.

"Unfortunate."

13 lunged at Shihebi at a speed in which he had never moved before. The two exchanged blows for no longer than five second, but in that time it was obvious that Shihebi was forced into the defensive.

"Well, you could probably beat me in this form, I'll give you that. But you're barely on the level of the dark skinned one. And that's being generous." Shihebi scoffed.

"So?" The Android inquired. "Why don't you transform."

The snake's attitude was wiped away. "You know that's not happening either."

13 whipped around, bringing his tail up toward Shihebi's face. The God had not time to react to the incoming attack and was sent to the floor.

Shihebi smirked on the ground. That smirk turned into a chuckle. That chuckle turned into a laugh. "I've met two people like me in a single day. I should be recruiting you guys or something."

"Oh?" 13 crossed his arms. "In what way are we alike?"

"You hate humans." Shihebi sneered. "I've been fighting for close to two hundred years. I was able to tell a lot about you from that exchange we just had. You hate this world, yet you protect it despite that fact. A strange one, for sure."

"You really like to talk." 13 retorted. "I've had quite a bit of experience as well. The strongest emotion I got from you wasn't hatred. It was pain. Sadness. Loneliness."

The snake stood up and gritted his teeth. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"I do." 13 replied. "You're doing all this to confuse us, to mess with our emotions, but in reality, you're the one that's trying to hide the pain of losing your best friend."

Shihebi's energy swelled a little bit. "Shut up. I already admitted I was upset about it, I'm not trying to hide anything."

"Then transform."

"I won't."

13 once again launched himself at the snake and the two came upon the shore of the island, exchanging punches and kicks.

Martin flew over to where Dalton was. "This is disturbing." He said.

"How so? Dalton asked him.

"I'm starting to regret not finishing him off when I had the chance. When we fought, the kid wasn't even able to keep up with my movements. Now he's able to fend off a good amount of 13's attacks, who's basically equal to me." Martin explained. "Could he really have grown that much in that amount of time?"

Both of them jerked their heads over to where the fight was when they saw a flash of lightning. 13 froze for a little bit as little bolts of electricity ran through his body. In that time, Shihebi made some distance between the two of them.

"What was that?" 13 demanded.

"Lightning."

13 didn't think that snide remark was funny. "I can see that much." He said after scrunching his nose. "But since when could you use lightning?"

"Since the beginning." Shihebi answered. "It just shows that I've recognized you as more of an opponent than those kids over there."

"And yet…" 13 started. "You won't transform."

"I already had to once today." He explained. "I won't again unless I absolutely have to."

"Well, you won't be able to beat me until you transform." 13 goaded.

Shihebi smiled in agreement. "That may be, but I don't need to beat you, do I?" I just need to stay alive until Deis finishes you all off himself."

"So you're a coward."

"If I was a coward, I would still be enslaved like the rest of my worthless people."

13 smiled as if he had an idea. "I guess I'll make you transform, then. Something had to have happened earlier to make you transform, right?"

The God chuckled at that remark. "You really are a terrible person, aren't you?"

"That's not up for me to decide." 13 said before attacking Shihebi again. The two exchanged more and more blows, this time spurts of lightning flew up in between some of the attacks. Shihebi attempted to whip his tail up at 13's face, but the android caught it about four inches from its destination. Tendrils of electricity escaped from its tip as if trying to help the tail reach its opponent. Still holding his iron grip on Shihebi's tail, he lifted his other hand to deliver a crushing blow to the snake. Before he could attack, the massive energy that had been outweighing Deis this whole time disappeared. 13 immediately let go of Shihebi's tail.

Dalton peered over to where the power was coming from in the little forest, as if trying to see what was going on. _Did Dominick just lose?_ He asked himself. He was more confused about his emotions now than ever. Should he be worried about his brother? Should he worry over the life of the one who took his father from him?

13's face became serious. "Looks like I have no more time to play around." He said. "I'll finish this now, whether you transform or not. Then I'll go save Dominick."

Shihebi chuckled. "Why bother?" He sneered. "Why would you sacrifice your life for someone you loathe?"

This whole time, the God's remarks had been building rage inside of him, little by little. This one sent him over the top. Even the calm and collected Android 13 could not handle his emotions being made into toys. "SHUT UP!" He roared. He then planted his foot directly into Shihebi's chest, sending him flying into the forest where Dominick and Deis were fighting.

The green God closed shut his eyes tight as to not get any dirt in his eyes when he was skidded across the floor. Once he came to a stop, he shook the dirt off the top of his head. "Damn, that one hurt." He mumbled, then opened his eyes. Just to his left was Deis, whose wounds were in the process of healing from his fight with Dominick. The angel's face showed no emotion. "I take it you won, Deis." He said, as he was struggling to get back on his feet. "Sorry, but my opponents are giving me some trouble. I don't really want to fight them, so do you mind taking over?" He asked. He expected Deis to scold him for asking such a thing, but he got nothing of the sort.

"Yeah…" Deis said, as if he was struggling to think of a response. "I can take over from here, Shihebi." Then he smiled. "It looks like...I don't need any help from here on out."

"What are you saying?" The snake asked him.

"I no longer have a need for you." He explained. "This is where our interests part ways, Shihebi." The angel raised a hand to his God's face, and then a familiar blue green light began to emanate from his palm.

Shihebi closed his eyes and smiled. "I guess you're right, Deis." When he opened his eyes again, they were the same soulless black slits that brought Martin to his knees. As a red mist began to appear around him, he opened his mouth to speak. "Our interests do part ways around here." The time was 4:24 a.m. Roughly two hours after the fight began.

* * *

Ichimei woke up with a start. She was sweating. She looked around but everything seemed black. The only light came from her digital alarm clock, which read 4:12 a.m. She felt next to her for Dominick's warm shoulder, but it wasn't there. She felt around some more, but to no avail. Panicking, she jumped up to turn the lights on. When they came on, she was blinded for a bit, but she wished she would have been for longer. Her stomach dropped when Dominick's spot was filled with nothing but an overturned blanket. _He…left again. He must have a good reason for this but...I can't help but think…_

She shook her head violently. "No, no." She told herself. "I won't let him get away with it this time. I'm going to find him." _But who do I know who can sense energy and fly? Everyone else is probably where Dominick is._ Then a certain person came to her mind. She reached for her phone to call them. _It's worth a try._ She told herself. Just as she was about to hit call, someone started banging on their front door. She ran through the dark hallway and toward the door. Looking through the peephole, she saw the person that she was just about to call. Flinging the door open, she exclaimed, "Josh, what are you doing here?!"

He looked terrible, as if he had run 10 miles before arriving. Josh was a fellow student under Piccolo's martial arts dojo that the boys attended when they were younger, and when Piccolo was still separate from Dende. He was a short darker skinned kid, and always wore a black jacket with a big red Pisces symbol in the dead center. He'd always been short tempered, but in the end he was always beside Dominick in whatever trouble he got into.

"Ichimei, Dominick's fighting right now!" He said urgently. "I think they may be in trouble this time. Whatever they're going up against has this ridiculous energy that I can hardly comprehend."

Ichimei stared in awe at him. She looked sick from worry.

 _Shit, I may have said too much._ "Ah, don't worry too much about it, though. Dominick's power is one that has never been within my comprehension." He explained. "I just came to let you know where he is. He dropped by yesterday and asked me to tell you that he was fighting if he ever disappeared without saying anything. He gave me the whole story in detail. It looks like it has to do with something bigger than you and I this time. But I guess it always does. Either way, I'm sure he'll be fine." He gave a nervous laugh.

He peeked at Ichimei's face to see if she had taken in all that information. It looked like she had already made up her mind. He knew what she was about to ask. He knew it would be in Dominick's favor for him to decline, but he couldn't bring himself to refuse when she gave him that look.

"Can you take me to where Dominick is?" She pleaded.

He wanted to say no, and tell her to stay in a safe place. He wanted to protect her. He wanted nothing more...a lump formed in his throat. "It looks like I'm not cut out for this, doesn't it?" He said. Her expression didn't change. "Hop on my back."

He squatted down, and she climbed up on his back, clutching his shoulders. As he took off from the ground, his mind began to wander. _Her hands are soft. It's really surprising. It's really surprising how strong someone with such soft hands can be. Stronger than I am. Even though she's just a normal girl, she's stronger than I'll ever be. Why can't I be stronger? Why-_

He froze. He was expecting Ichimei to ask why he had stopped, but he didn't hear anything from her. She must have felt something as well. What he had felt was Dominick's energy, or rather the absence thereof.

"Hurry." She simply said.

He nodded, and continued flying, faster than before.


	19. Primitive, Rage, Solitude

_Chapter XIX : Primitive, Rage, Solitude_

Dominick's blinded white eyes looked up at the moon. That night was a half moon. It was so bright, however, that one could see the outline of the dark side of the moon. The time was 4:13 a.m.

Deis moved through the thick forest that he had just been thrust into. The density was increased as many of the trees were knocked down, broken and dead. His right cheek was red from the blow he had received, and the inside of his mouth was bleeding. Before he emerged from the forest, it was as if he had never been hit. Such was the power of _Yugotensei_ , the accumulation of all portions of the Mother's divinity into one being. That was what Angels were. They were manifestations of the divinity given by the Grand Creator; one portion of that divinity was given to protect each universe. They lived forever, too, unless some external force ended their lives, as did Deis. Having stolen all of the other portions of his Mother's power for himself, Deis thought himself to be on an equal level with his Mother. So how, then, could he be sent flying by a single punch from a lowly mortal? He could not understand, and this confusion was nearly immediately transformed into violent rage.

He concealed his presence before exiting the forest. Not entirely, however. He let a miniscule amount of his power leak from his body, just enough so that Dominick could sense it. He then laid his third eye on Dominick, still looking up at the half moon, as if waiting for something. Waiting for the full moon. The Saiyan caught whiff of the presence behind the trees, and looked over at where it was coming from. In that exact moment, Deis activated the power of his third eye, paralyzing Dominick.

Or so he thought.

There was no change of expression as Dominick calmly walked over to the forest.

 _It's not working?!_ He exclaimed in his mind. _Fine._

He jumped out of the forest and lunged toward Dominick. It was dodged. He found himself in front of his opponent, facing the opposite way. He felt a knee graze his back as he jumped away. When he turned around, Dominick was already basically on top of him. A hard fist was driven into his gut, twisting. Then he was in the air, accelerating backwards, unable to stop himself. Dominick was behind him again, wasting no time. He dug his elbow deep into the back of Deis's neck, sending him plummeting back down to the little island with a grunt. His energy was still steadily rising. Deis landed face first in the gravel that used to be the mountain. He rolled over in an attempt to get back on his feet. Big mistake. Once again, his opponent was already on top of him. Dominick sat on Deis's abdomen, pinning him to the ground. Then he started hitting him. Each blow could be heard from easily over a mile away, and with each one, the Angel's face became harder and harder to recognize. Deis was given no time to heal himself in between punches, and his consciousness was fading fast. Dominick was showing no sign of letting up.

Kai looked at Gogito. "Are you seeing this?"

"I think it's over."

"Could you...see him move?"

"I almost couldn't. He's really fast." Gogito folded his arms. "I can sense Deis's energy decreasing rapidly."

"I couldn't see a thing." Supreme Kai responded. "That whole exchange felt like a few minutes, but it was really just a couple seconds, wasn't it?"

Gogito nodded. "I'm going to stop him." He said. "The fight is over."

When Dominick wound back his right arm for the next punch, a gentle but firm hand was placed in front of it. He looked back at the owner of the hand. He saw no one. He began punching again, but then he was forcefully pulled back.

He heard a muffled voice. "Dominick, stop it already. You've won."

Instinctively, he swung his elbow back behind him to shake off what had grabbed hold of him. It made contact with what felt like flesh. He didn't know whose it was, nor did he care. All he saw was his opponent. And the moon.

Deis took the opportunity to scram out from underneath Dominick. "Stay out of this fight." He said to Gogito, who was standing behind Dominick hold his cheek, where he had been elbowed. "Unless you want me to kill you now."

"I don't think you should be talking right now." Gogito retorted.

Before he finished, Dominick once again lunged himself at the Angel. Not many of Deis's wounds were healed yet. His regeneration powers were noticeably slower. He jumped back to try and escape the initial attack, but Dominick caught up to him in a less than a second. He threw a left hook toward his opponent, but while moving backwards, it only worked against him. Dominick grabbed hold of his wrist an inch in front of his face. He planted a foot in the ground, using it to propel himself upward, carrying the Angel with him. He then did a front flip in midair while his arm attached to Deis was straight out. He let go 60 degrees below horizontal, flinging Deis into the floor below. He hit the ground with such force that a huge dust cloud was created, obscuring anyone's view of the Angel. Dominick then used his own energy to stop his upward momentum and propel himself downward - knees first - toward where Deis had landed.

Gogito who was watching the whole exchange play out from only a couple of meters away, saw Dominick disappear into the dust cloud. He then heard a painful crunch. As the dust clouds dispersed, he saw the Saiyan grab the Angel by the feet. Once the dust was completely gone, he noticed that Deis's shoulder was not at all where it was supposed to be, and the arm below it was twisted nearly 360 degrees. And somehow, the Angel was still conscious through it all.

Dominick lifted Deis up by the feet and began slapping him on the ground on either side of him like a doll. And it was a slap. Each time the Angel hit the ground, it sounded like someone pulled back an elastic ruler and let it snap back on a hard surface, only a microphone was being held up to the point of impact. That was how loud it was. And after each slap, his face was dragged along the rough gravel, getting redder and redder with blood each time.

"That's enough." Gogito said, being smart enough to keep his distance this time. "He can't move, pretty much all of his bones are broken."

Dominick stared in the direction of the voice. He chose to ignore it. He flung Deis into the air at an angle. Then he made a stance, and opened his mouth. _Ka...me...ha...me…_

It seemed like time stopped. Gogito and Supreme Kai just watched in suspense. But time hadn't stopped. The last chant never came. Dominick just collapsed. His time had run out, and he had expended all of his energy. But the damage had already been done. Deis was already halfway across the island, and ended up landing clear on the other side. His life was a single thread. A single thread with high-speed regeneration powers. This round of regeneration would prove to burn off most of Deis's remaining energy.

Gogito ran over to the unconscious body on the floor. He rolled it over to be facing up. Dominick opened his eyes, but only just barely.

"Did I win?" He managed in between winces.

"Well," Gogito started. "You did a hell of a lot of damage. He has regeneration powers, but I don't think he can regenerate the energy he's lost due to the absolute beating you just put on that guy."

Dominick started to chuckle, but then began coughing. "I'm so tired…" He said.

"Just get some rest, then." Gogito said as he hoisted him up on his back.

Battered, bruised, and out of energy, Dominick sank into the warmth that was his ancestor's back. He felt safe. He could have stayed there forever. The gentle bump of each step his master took soothed him, and he felt like he was falling into deeper and deeper sleep with each one until he faded out of consciousness.

* * *

Deis was finally able to stand after five minutes. He did. He looked around him as if trying to determine where he was. He was strangely calm. Like the calm before a destructive storm. His wounds healed painfully slowly as he stood completely still in the forest. Then it was 4:24 a.m.

* * *

Josh flew at full speed. It was fast, but the island was far away. It was taking too long. With every passing second, both his and Ichimei's anxiety grew exponentially.

"It's faint, but I think I'm starting to feel his life force." Josh said after a while.

Ichimei nodded behind his head. There was silence again. Then Ichimei spoke up. "Can I rant for a little?"

Josh stayed quiet for a little, then said, "You can talk, but I'm not going to listen." He shook his head. "It's a little difficult to listen to those kind of rants right now. So if you don't want your feelings to fall on deaf ears, I would recommend waiting until you're with someone better than me."

"It's okay." She said. "I'll just talk." Then she went off. "I was shot a week ago. Dominick got me a Senzu, but I was still a little traumatized, and I didn't want to be alone. So he promised me. He said he'd never leave me alone. But yesterday morning, I woke up and he wasn't there next to me. I freaked out, but he got home not long after I woke up. He did the same thing this morning. I understand that there's things he needs to take care of. I met those two men from Universe Eleven. But sometimes it feels like he sees me as a burden. Like I'll just get in the way. Does he hate me?"

Josh didn't answer. They were already on top of the island. "I think Dominick's in pretty bad shape right now." He said as they descended. "It's a good thing I brought some Senzu."

Kibito Kai was sitting next to Dominick's motionless body on the ground. He looked up as Josh's feet touched the ground. "Why are you here?" He demanded. "This is no place for you, it's dangerous."

"Don't worry." Josh said. "I guess you could call us the healing crew." He flashed his bag of Senzu the Kai.

"Oh my God." Ichimei breathed as she laid her eyes on Dominick. "Is he..?"

"Don't worry," Kibito Kai said, "his life is not in danger. He is only exhausted."

"Well, let's get him back on his feet." Josh said as Ichimei hopped off of his back and ran to Dominick's side.

Kibito Kai shook his head. "Not yet. Gogito asked me to keep him from interfering with the rest of the fight. Although I don't think there is much of a fight left. Dominick may as well have ripped that Angel to shreds." He shuddered. "It was like nothing I'd ever seen."

Ichimei looked at him seriously. "His sclera didn't turn black, did they?" She asked.

"No, this was something completely different. It was like he became an animal for a while, acting only on instinct."

Josh flashed the Kai a look that said, "You should probably stop talking now."

He nodded in agreement.

Ichimei just looked at Dominick with worry.

Kibito Kai gave a warm smile. "He will wake before too long. Let's wait for him here until he does."

* * *

"Having some internal squabbles, are we?" Gogito asked when he found the God and the Angel in the forest. The two looked at him but said nothing. "Don't mind me, you guys can kill each other to your hearts' content, I won't stop you."

"Ah, the master has come." Deis smiled. "You seem confident. I remember stopping the punch you threw at me earlier."

Gogito's energy billowed up within him, and in an explosion it was released into the form of a Super Saiyan. "Oh? Do you want to try again?"

The Angel looked satisfied. "Let's go." As they walked off, he turned around to Shihebi, who still had red smoke rising from his body. "I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere, now." He said, then laughed.

"You are one freaky guy." Gogito said to the Angel as they walked out of the forest in the direction of Dalton, Martin, and Android Thirteen. Shihebi lied back down on the grass of the forest with his hands under his head.

Deis and Gogito passed Dalton as soon as they set foot on the beach. Dalton look at Gogito as if to ask what had just transpired, but Gogito only smiled at him.

"Shihebi's still back in the forest if you guys want to go play with him." Deis sneered.

Giving up on getting any answers from Gogito, Dalton ran into the forest. The others followed him, stealing glances at Gogito and Deis as they ran. Dalton stopped steps away from the snake's sleeping head. The others stopped behind him.

"What the hell are you sleeping for?" Dalton demanded.

"I'm not sleeping." He responded without opening his eyes. "Only waiting."

"Waiting for what?"

"Deis is going to lose. I'm just waiting for the right time to step in."

"What do you mean by that?" Martin interjected.

Ignoring him Shihebi sat up quickly. "I guess I should watch the fight, if that's what I'm doing." He got up and walked out of the forest, acting like the three of them were not even there.

Martin ran up and put a firm hand on Shihebi's shoulder. "I asked you a question."

The snake turned around and smiled. His eyes made Martin's stomach turn. They were the same as when they fought before. "I'm waiting," he said, "for the perfect time to step in and kill Deis." He chuckled to himself. "The fool thought he could deceive me. He has no idea what he's dealing with."


	20. Deis and Shihebi

_Chapter XX : Deis and Shihebi_

It was dark. Really, really dark. All too familiar for Dominick. _It's really dark isn't it? And yet...you still don't know my name._

Dominick sat up abruptly and looked around. It was still dark. He felt like he had just woken up, but this was most definitely not the scenery he had fallen asleep in. _Did I die?_ He asked himself.

 _Not yet._ A voice called. Behind him was the wooden cross that his black sclera form was imprisoned on. _Stupid question, though. We've already died once._

Dominick turned around. "We?" He asked.

 _Don't act ignorant. Of course you know I stayed inside you throughout your time in Otherworld. I will always be a part of you._

Dominick rolled his eyes. "You say that, but in the end you're still trying to take over my body.

 _You won't die when that happens, though. It will only be a role reversal. I will be in control of this body, and you will be the one stuck on a wooden cross in the middle of blackness._ The cross creaked as if the wood was getting older, rotting. _Do you hear that? You can't hold me back for much longer. Before long, I will break free. I already have an advantage over you, as well._

"Oh?" Dominick inquired. "And what would that be?"

 _See, you aren't very in touch with your weapon. And as such you cannot use it to its full potential. I, on the other hand, have an inherent connection with it. I can draw much more power out of it than you can._

"My weapon?" The cross began to fade away. Then it was gone. In its place stood a vaguely familiar black silhouette of a person. The one from his dream the morning before. At its waist, a sword identical to Dominick's materialized. Dominick saw a quick flash of white as the figured moved, and then the sword was in his stomach. He tried to cry out but his voice couldn't be heard. As he tried removing the sword from his body, he doubled over from the pain surging in every direction from the point of contact.

The black silhouette now loomed over him. _The fact that you feel pain proves you are not ready. You will die by the hand of the being inside you._

Each throb of pain made it harder and harder to stay awake. "I'll kill that bastard…" Dominick managed. "Then I'll kill you...whoever you are." Then his muscles refused to hold him up a second longer, and his face hit the floor, his body close behind it. His eyes were closed, but the pain could still be seen on his face.

* * *

Deis lunged at Gogito in full fury. From afar, he seemed completely juvenated. But Gogito could see the sweat rolling down his face and down his torso. And his movements were sluggish. "Your regeneration powers don't recover the energy you've lost, do they?" Gogito asked. "In fact I think it's the opposite. It takes a massive amount of energy for you to recover from wounds. That seems like a rather inefficient power to me."

"Don't mock me, mortal." Deis said as he continued his barrage on Gogito. None of his punches or kicks were making contact. Suddenly, Gogito jumped up just above the Angel's head. He clasped his hands together and brought them down on Deis's dome. As the attacked fell forward, Gogito planted his foot in Deis's lower back.

He looked back at the Angel and laughed. "Come on, I can't take you seriously. Were the other Gods worrying about you clowns? You all are weaker than you were made out to be."

Deis probably knew that Gogito was purposely antagonizing him, but he didn't care. "I'LL KILL YOU!" He yelled.

As Deis let what little energy he had left leak out of him through his anger, Shihebi watched from outlet of the forest with Dalton and the others. "Look." He said. "He's pissed again. He's always pissed. I guess we're alike in that way. I just don't let it get the best of me."

Dalton looked down at the snake. "Why aren't you stepping in?"

Shihebi continued to look outward. "Well, I know the fight's already over. I think we've all already realized it, except for Deis. He thinks he still has more in the tank, but he doesn't." He explained. "Out of a final respect to the dead, I'll wait until he realizes he can't beat this guy. Then I'll kill him. And from what I've seen, the old guy will probably try his hand at mercy, too. Actually, I think that's when I'll do it."

Deis concentrated his remaining energy into his right hand. "TAKE THIS!" He bellowed. An unstable swirl of blue-green and purple appeared in his hand. "There's no way you can take this head on." He said. "This is all of the power that Mother has endowed me with in one ball a couple of inches in diameter. This energy is so dense, it could eliminate this plant if so much as a droplet hit its surface. YOU BETTER NOT LET THAT HAPPEN!" He screamed as he winded back and threw the energy ball at Gogito as hard as he could.

Gogito simply shook his head. "You overestimated the volume of energy that you received after you killed Mesui." He said. He stuck his hand out and enclosed his fist around the ball when it made contact. When he opened his hand again, it barely had so much as a scratch on it.

"IMPOSSIBLE-" Deis started, but then almost fell forward. "What's happening?" He demanded. "The world is spinning...I can't even stand…"

"You've lost, Deis." Gogito responded. "You've exhausted all of your energy that was given to you, and now you don't even have enough to stay on your feet. It's over."

Deis looked up from his shameful position on the ground, confused, as if he couldn't comprehend what was happening to him. "I've...lost?" He asked. "I've lost?!" Without warning, his body began to glow a shiny golden shade. He stood back on his feet.

"Don't do this." Gogito told him. "You're using up your life energy. You can still live, but you won't ever be able to use energy again."

Deis glared at his opponent. "What do you know about my powers?!" He demanded.

"Well, I don't know for sure." Gogito replied. "But gifted powers like yours often come with a heavy price to pay." Deis's mind shot back to an image of Mesui. He had borrowed powers from their Mother at the cost of his life. "Your price was that the energy you gained from whatever being you keep speaking of...it can never be recovered. It was a one-time use. And you wasted your chance."

"Bingo." A voice said from behind Gogito. He jerked his head back, quickly realizing it was the owner of the huge surge of power they had felt before arriving at the island. "You know your stuff, old man. Although I'm pretty sure it was only a good guess."

Deis looked in horror at those black slits in his eyes. Those empty, mindless voids. He was much taller now, his hair was longer and a dark shade of red, he had black streaks running vertically down his face, his muscles were much more defined, and he had sharp spikes protruding from his shoulder blades. "Shihebi?" Deis murmured.

"You don't recognize me, do you?" The snake scoffed. "It's me, your little pawn."

"Where did you get this power?"

"I've always had it. From the beginning. Since before I was a God of Destruction."

Deis shook his head. "Impossible. I chose you because of your bloodlust, not your power."

"You misunderstood what really unfolded that day, Deis." Shihebi said. "I was brought before you Angels, and I sensed your growing discomfort with their organization. I purposely let all of my bloodlust spill into only you at that moment. For the last hundred years, what you've seen from me is exactly what I've wanted you to see. And when you were still unsure of what to do about your disagreement with your fellow Angels, I gave you the idea to revolt. I told you about _Yugotensei._ And I purposely gave you a limited amount of information on it. You mistakenly thought that I had the same goals as you did, and that led you to put your trust in me. But even still, it was a corrupted kind of trust. It was more like you assumed I was loyal. You didn't think to consider that I was hiding anything from you." He explained. Deis was completely speechless. To think that he could have been deceived for over a century! "You understand, right? You didn't choose me as your God of Destruction of your own free will. I chose you as my Angel. So here you are, never able to use energy again, being spared by an opponent that never even attacked you. So shameful. But it's not your lucky day, Deis. In fact, you haven't had a lucky day in over a hundred years. You see, I have planned to kill you here from the day we left the organization."

Even now, Deis was too proud to accept his defeat. Glowing even brighter, he screamed and leaped at the Snake. "YOU LITTLE-"

Shihebi wrapped his hand around his old mentor's throat. "Don't go killing yourself, now." He said. "I want to be the one that ends your life." Deis squirmed in Shihebi's grasp, but each movement was more pained than the last. "It's not like I disagreed with what you wanted to do. It's just that with your toxic personality, you would have ended up completing the exact opposite."

Deis grunted and veins popped out of his forehead as he tried to retort. "What...does a low-life like you...know about the good of the Universe?!"

"Well...I know what needs to be eliminated." He said. "You were a noble man, Deis. I tried not to harbor any ill feelings toward you. But it was impossible for me."

Deis began clawing at shihebi's forearm. "You have no idea...I just...I just…" Deis showed hints of regret between his anger. "I had the power to make the universe perfect...I had the power...and all of you still managed to get in my way...you are the true definition of evil."

Shihebi held the Angel's neck above his head. "Later." He said nonchalantly. The was a repeated flash of bright light escaping from the snake's palm, followed by an explosion, and then Deis was nothing but ash that just mixed in with the sand below them.

Gogito only stood off to the side, not saying a word. So did Dalton, Martin, and Android Thirteen.

Shihebi rubbed his hands together to get rid of the dust. "There you have it." He said, smiling.

* * *

Dominick slowly opened one eye. The other one was swollen shut. Three people loomed over him, but his vision was still blurry, so he couldn't make out who they were.

"Thank goodness, you're awake." Someone said. "Josh, you can give him a Senzu now."

Dominick tried to look around. _Josh is here?_ He felt fingers at his swollen lips and a small capsule shaped item being forcefully inserted into his mouth. It had a familiar taste, and he could already anticipate its effects before they were enacted. He chewed and swallowed. As the pain oozed out of his body, the blurs above him turned into images, and then into bodies. He sat up and felt a weight fall onto his chest. The weight of someone's head. Ichimei's head. Despite being glad to see her, his stomach sank at the sight.

"I was so worried." She said between sniffles. "You left me again."

Dominick shot Josh a glare. "Why did you bring her here?" He demanded.

"I couldn't refuse her." He replied. "I'm sorry."

Ichimei then removed her head from Dominick's chest and slapped him in the face, hard. "Do you really think I'm that helpless?" She cried. "Am I that much of a burden to you?"

"I'm just protecting you." He said. "The danger you're in here is beyond the scope of anything you've ever seen. I don't want a repeat of six years ago."

"I won't die." She said. "I won't. I promise." Her eyes shone in the moonlight, amplifying her determination.

Josh laughed. "I'm telling you, I couldn't refuse."

"I can see why." Dominick said. Then he looked at Ichimei. "You can stay. I'm putting your life before everyone else's, though. Including mine. If it comes down to it, I can have Kibito Kai take you to the World of the Kais." He looked back at the Kai for a approval.

"That should be fine." He said. "Normally we're not supposed to take living people to our world, but I can make an exception. Just save the Earth as payment, alright?"

"You got it." Dominick stood up, smiled at Kibito Kai, and turned around and knelt down to Ichimei's level. "You keep your promise, too, alright?"

She nodded. "I love you."

He stroked her hair, intertwining it in his fingers, in his being. "I love you."

* * *

Dominick appeared behind Dalton at the border separating the beach and the forest. "Deis died?" He asked.

"Yeah." Dalton replied. "Shihebi killed him."

Dominick looked at where Gogito and Shihebi were. "That's Shihebi?"

"Yeah, in his true form." Dalton said. "It's what we felt when the barrier went down."

"That's a lot of power."

"Gogito can take him." Martin declared.

At this, they all scanned the situation again. Gogito was already a Super Saiyan. Shihebi's power exceeded that of Gogito's. It exceeded that of Dominick's when he fought Deis. It was huge.

"Gogito has to be able to take him…" Martin repeated.

Shihebi smiled and looked over at the forest where the other fighters were. "I overheard that whole conversation." He said. "You were wrong on two points." He held up two fingers to illustrate.

Gogito glared at the snake. "Don't rope them into this." He said.

"Oh, please." He responded. "They've been roped in from the start. It was their own doing." Then he lowered his middle finger. "One: I am stronger than all of you. This old man won't beat me." He raised his middle finger back up again. "Two: You said this was my true form. That was also wrong."


	21. The Terror of Snakes

_Chapter XXI : The Terror of Snakes_

Shihebi stood on the beach with crimson power spilling from his body. No one really dared to approach him.

Dalton stepped back into the forest. "Did I hear that right?" He said over his shoulder to Dominick.

"You did." Shihebi called. "I still have much more room to grow."

"Then I'll just have to grow with you." Gogito chimed in.

Shihebi laughed. "That's a lot of powering up you'll have to do. I'm already stronger than you as it is."

Android Thirteen jumped out of the forest. "Wait, Shihebi." He said. "You don't have to do this. I know you aren't evil."

"You're right." The snake responded. "I'm not evil. But my power is. You can feel it, can't you? It's not something that should be flowing from a hero. Which is ironic, since I feel a lot of hero-like energy flowing from you guys."

"What are you trying to say?" Martin yelled.

"You're scared of me, aren't you? I'm terrified. I feel like I could be sucked into the nothingness that is my power at any moment. I can never let my guard down, except in my final form. Since my power works somewhat like a black hole, it sucks any soul and emotion into a point, pushed to the back of my being, like it's not even there. That point becomes more and more dense as the force of my power becomes greater and greater, until at my full power, that point reacts to the inward forces, and my soul and emotions explode and manifest into even more power."

Everyone stood in silence trying to decipher what the Snake had just said.

"You guys are evil." He said. "You have too much power to not serve as protectors of our Universes. That makes you hindrances to my role as a protector. There's no guarantee your selfishness won't lead you to put others' lives in danger. Your apathy will serve as my motif to kill you."

Gogito started toward the snake. He kept walking until the two were only inches apart. "That's a childish way of thinking, Shihebi."

The God chuckled. "Maybe." Then his face scrunched, and without warning, he punched Gogito in the face.

The force caused a Gogito to stumble backward, and it created a ring of energy expanding outward normal to the direction of the blow. Gogito regained his footing. He held his hand to his jaw where the punch had landed and moved it around to make sure nothing was broken. Then he lowered his hand and smirked. Shihebi lunged at him, but this time he was ready. The Snake sent a blur of punches and kicks at his opponent, but all of them were blocked. Shihebi let off of the offensive a little bit, and Gogito took that advantage to steal it. After Shihebi sent a quick left hook toward him, he ducked under the fist, the popped back up and was able to land a solid hit on the Snake's face.

Shihebi grunted upon impact. "Nice shot." He said.

"Thanks." Gogito replied. "But I'm sure you let that happen."

"True. I wanted to test your power." He said. "I have wanted to test your power since the moment I saw you. I knew you were hiding a lot of it. In fact, you're still hiding power, aren't you?"

Gogito smiled. "You caught me."

"And if I had to take a guess, I'd say you're fighting at less than half right now."

"This form drastically improves your insight, too, doesn't it?" Gogito said.

"Intelligence is a large part of one's strength." Shihebi replied. "Now show me your full power. I'm hoping I can make you work under me. With your strength, we can greatly improve the quality of our work."

"Sorry, but I have no interest in becoming some sort of omniversal dictator. I rather value the individual."

Shihebi scowled. "That's the apathy I'm talking about."

"Well…" Gogito started. "I guess I have to show you my full power." Energy began to bubble and rise like magma in a volcano within him until it could be seen as a glowing golden outline on his body. Then it started to spill out, causing an outward wind current in all directions. He clenched his teeth and tightened his entire body as the sand was pushed away from him. The island began to shake. It groaned as if it were in pain. The clouds parted, revealing the slightest orange glow in the sky above. Then, lightning was generated from the energy spilling from Gogito. He glowed even brighter now, so much so that everything else seemed to darken. In a flash, he let out a powerful cry that resonated throughout all of the island, echoing for what seemed like forever.

"Holy shit…" Martin exclaimed. "Since when did Gogito have all of this power?!"

Dalton turned around, still protecting his face from the wind currents. "You were the one saying Gogito had to win this. Now he really might be able to."

"He's been holding out on us." Dominick said. "Even while training us for four years, he's found time to train himself, too. It's like he was preparing for something."

Gogito shone in the dark of the early morning. It was Super Saiyan 2. The golden energy fell from his sides then billowed up in a ball around his body. Cracks of lighting could be seen spewing from the energy he put off.

"This is more like it." Shihebi sneered. "Now, villain, you will feel the terror of all that is good." The dark red smoke around him began to whistle as if it were crying, trying to escape. It felt as if all of the darkness on the earth was being drawn into this one single Snake. Even the shivers from everyone's spines were sucked in.

Gogito couldn't bring himself to attack first. Shihebi didn't share the hesitation. He lunged at Gogito once again, leaving a trail of black and red behind him. Still moving forward, he let his upper body fall back and threw up his feet. Gogito stepped back to dodge a hook kick, but Shihebi kept turning and used his tail like a whip. When the attack came down on him, Gogito caught it with his left hand. Electricity fizzed from the tip of the Snake's tail. Gogito felt his soul being tugged into Shihebi's blackness. Wincing, he flung the God by the tail into the ocean. Sweat already dripped down his chin. The ocean now stood still.

"That was insane." Android Thirteen murmured. "All of that power released from just that one exchange. It barely lasted a couple seconds."

"Where did Shihebi go?" Dominick asked.

Martin looked back at him and raised an eyebrow. "In the water! Couldn't you see-" He paused. Shihebi wasn't in the water.

Gogito suddenly turned around to face the forest. "There!" He shouted as the Snake appeared behind him. He swung his fist at his opponent, but it was blocked. With Gogito's fist in his hand, Shihebi pulled him closer and drove his knee up toward his chest. Gogito put his free hand on Shihebi's knee and used it to propel himself up and over the Snake's head, who still had a grasp on his fist. When Shihebi's opponent was directly over his head, he let go of him, but kept his hand raised in the air. A clump of dark energy gathered in his hand, ready to implode, calling all light and dark to be absorbed. Gogito realized what this meant, steadied himself in the air, and prepared a counterattack. A light-blue glow emanated from his palms, then bulged and exploded out toward the God. The dark energy was fired just a split second after. The collision created a disc shaped explosion, spiraling with dark and light components. Gogito shot upward from the smoke created by the explosion. Once he caught his breath, he dove back in. Within that second two bodies came tumbling out of the cloud over the ocean. The green one was on the bottom. Gogito clasped his hands and slammed them into the the Snake's head. Shihebi splashed into the water, and Gogito fired another energy blast down at his opponent. After a couple of seconds, an explosion from within the water caused what seemed like a geyser from the bottom of the ocean.

"He can do this!" Martin exclaimed. "He has the upper hand."

The rest of them were silent they knew Martin was trying to be hopeful. He was the only one who had experienced the emptiness of Shihebi firsthand.

Gogito slowly moved back to land. Once he touched back down, he rested his hands on his knees.

Dominick ran out to offer aid to his mentor. "Gramps!" He called.

Gogito turned around to face Dominick. "Super Saiyan 2 is really hard to manage…" He said.

"Why didn't you ever tell us about this form?" Dominick asked.

"I was going to…" He explained. "Once you were able defeat me in my Super Saiyan form, I was going to reveal this as your next goal."

"You're sneaky." Dominick said, chuckling. "Well, it looks like Shihebi can't even put up a fight with you right now."

"Yeah." Gogito agreed. "But it's far from over. We need to count on this form also being able to hold its own against his true form. I have no idea when he'll use it, and chances are I'll need your help, so make sure you rest up."

Dominick looked up. "Looks like he's back."

Shihebi rose out of the water like the God he was. "If I were in charge, this wouldn't have to happen anymore." He said. "There's my reason, since you wanted to know so bad."

* * *

Purple flowers used to bloom from the blue-grey tree trunks every winter. They thrived on the cold weather. But it never got cold for long periods of time anymore. The weather always fluctuated rapidly. It could change as much as 40 degrees within a single hour. As cold blooded creatures, the snake-like Jeuri race could not withstand the rapid temperature change without suffering from severe dizziness. They had dug many complex tunnels under the ground to be in a more constant setting. But just before all of this began, a baby was born. The last one born above ground.

"Mother, why is my name different from all of the others'?" He asked one day.

"Oh, Shihebi." She soothed. "Do not listen to what they say about your name."

He leaned in. "No, I don't care about that. I want to know what it means."

His mother caressed his cheek as she lay on her bed. She hadn't gotten out of bed in over a year. At this point, her muscles her probably too weak to do so. "It's an ancient language." She said. "It means 'Death Snake'."

Shihebi smiled at that for some reason. He didn't know why.

"You were the first Jeuri to be born after that wretched after that wretched Detombe du Rois took over this planet." She scrunched her nose at his name. "You were born only minutes after he took power."

"So why did you name me that?" He asked.

She smiled. "That's up for you to decide."

Shihebi had only been alive for five years at that time. His mother died only a couple of months later, from malnourishment. No one was allowed to leave the underground for fear of being recruited to do slave-work for King Detombe du Rois. The planet held rich minerals in its soil which allowed those purple flowered trees to grow. They were called Vioyeux.

Those who ended up getting recruited and showed extra promise above the others were chosen to serve directly under the king as overseers of their own kin. Whether it be out of fear or complete change of heart, those overseers became faithful to only the king. And the others could be easily overpowered by the overseers, they had no choice to obey their own kin' orders given directly from the king, sitting in his tower. No one knew the location of the tower, either. For all they knew, it could have been on a different planet. The king was a ghost, and the flesh was acting against itself of its own accord.

* * *

"Jiel, Brother, stop this!" Shihebi cried, holding his seizing father in his arms. He had just been jabbed with an electric electric javelin-like spear given only to overseers. "Father is sick, can't he go back underground and get some medicine?!"

Jiel's eyes were cold, showing no emotion. "Once you come onto the surface, you're never allowed back underground again. That is the rule of the king. You either work for us or you rot down there." He wore a heavy grey button-up coat with a red star on his left shoulder to signify his loyalty to the king. "Mother already lost her life to the underground, so why would you want to go back there?"

Shihebi snarled at his brother. "Don't you dare talk about Mother. You willingly went to Detombe du Rois, knowing you were leaving your family behind."

"It's called self preservation." Jiel said calmly. "Before my life, there is nothing."

"You coward!" Shihebi shouted. Then he looked down at his father, whose eyes were glazed, looking at everything and nothing. "Father, try and pull yourself together! We promised to go to the surface and make change, to free us all!"

Groaning, his father managed to lift his head and look at Jiel. "My eldest son...please." He stammered. "Please...kill me."

Shihebi's eyes widened in horror.

Jiel stepped forward. "Very well."

"Shihebi, my son, I'm sorry." He said. "I was weaker than I thought. I don't want to hurt anymore…"

Shihebi scrunched his nose in a saddened anger. "I guess it's too much for me, too." He dropped his father on the ground. "I'll do this on my own, no more making attachments. It's too painful when they break." Then he turned his back on the other two. Behind him, he heard the piercing of flesh. "Jiel." He called. "I'll take charge of this whole deal. All the planets; everything."

"Why bother? Why risk your life for others?"

Shihebi turned around to face his brother as silence fell over the surface. "I'm not like you, Jiel. I feel pain when I am betrayed, and I feel pity for others when they feel pain." He turned back around and started walking away from everything he knew.

"Life is a lot harder when you feel those emotions." Jiel said. "You should rid yourself of them."

"I can't do that." He said. "Otherwise my goal would be void." He stopped walking without turning around. "You see, if I were in charge of everything, this wouldn't have to happen anymore. Brothers wouldn't betray their family out of fear." Once he started walking again, he called back to his brother once more, for what would be the last time. "I know you haven't completely lost your emotions, Jiel. You've have plenty of chances to kill insubordinate like me, but I'm still alive."


	22. Deep Purple Serpent

_Chapter XXII : Deep Purple Serpent_

Ichimei had pulled Kibito Kai off to the side after Josh said that he was going over to where the other guys were.

"What's the matter, Ichimei?" The Kai asked.

Ichimei bit her lower lip trying to construct her question for him. "Dominick...spent some time with you when he was dead, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

She darted her eyes away. "Did he ever...did his eyes ever…" She trailed off.

"Are you talking about that black sclera he gets in his left eye?" He inquired.

"Yeah."

"That's definitely an object of concern." He said. "But you shouldn't dwell on it. He's strong, so he can hold it at bay until we can figure out what it actually is."

She felt uncomfortable. Some ominous feeling was rising with the sun that morning. "Okay." She said. But she was dwelling on it more than ever. Her intuition was never wrong. The time was 5:09 a.m.

* * *

There was a tower in the center of the greatest valley Planet Jeural where the overseers stayed. It was made from a strange black rock with purple streaks that was alien to the planet. It was five stories tall, and if one were to look from directly above, they would see the shape of an eye. At the base of the tower stood a 30-year-old Shihebi. It was almost as if he had gone through a complete metamorphosis since his father died ten years prior. He had grown about two feet, had red hair, black streaks on his face, and spikes protruding out and up from his shoulder blades; strikingly similar to the form he took when he killed Axita and Deis.

When he left his brother ten years ago, there was an unspoken yet mutually understood agreement that the two would be again to sort out their differences, whether that be through a fight or a reconciling. He opened the tower doors with that in mind.

Two guards with lean faces stopped him at the entrance. They wore the same grey jackets, but in addition the guards wore flat gray caps and a diamond hoop ring on their right ear.

"What business do you have with the Iris Tower?" One of them demanded. This was the first time Shihebi had been inside the Iris Tower. He scanned the first room, which was lit by a sing chandelier.. It was rather plain and had a surprisingly relaxing feel. There was even an older Jeuri brewing some sort of drink behind a counter. Various purple velvet chairs were spread throughout the room in which many overseers he had never seen before slept. The old Jeuri behind the counter looked up at Shihebi when he walked in the room and smiled an empty smile. "Well?" The guard said as he pressed his javelin against Shihebi's chest.

"I want to apply to become an overseer." Shihebi said, which was a farce.

"I see." The other guard said. "You are aware of the recent changes to the physical test, right?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." He replied.

"Come with us, then. We'll take you to the Eye of the King." The guards led Shihebi up all four flights of stairs and to two big doors that were almost the entirety of the fifth floor. "Just go in the doors. He already knows what you're here for." The two each opened one of the doors, and after Shihebi entered, they closed them behind him.

The Eye of the King was the leader of the overseers, and was the only one who took orders directly from Detombe. He sat behind a shiny black desk in a room made entirely of mirrors. Even the floor and ceiling were mirrors, even the backs of the doors. The Eye of the King was a thin man who had slicked back graying hair and a thick mustache that extended from one corner of his mouth to the other. He wore an eyepatch over his left eye with a hyper realistic eyeball on its face. His clothes were a white version of those of the overseers. He wore the same smile on his face as the old man behind the counter from the first floor.

"Welcome, young man." He said. "I hear you want to be an overseer."

"I lied about that." Shihebi said. The smile didn't leave the Eye's face. "Bring Jiel up here. I want to...speak with him."

"Jiel, huh…" He murmured. "I'm afraid I can't do that. Jiel died nearly ten years ago."

Shihebi was at a loss for words. "What did you say?" He managed.

"He's dead." The Eyes repeated. "He came back to the Iris Tower one night and declared he was quitting as an overseer."

Shihebi knit his eyebrows at this. _Was that because of me?_

"Unfortunately, once you become an overseer, you serve until the day you die." He explained. "Men that strong are too dangerous to be let out on their own. You either quit or you die. And sometimes, we're forced to make that decision for you."

A wave of contradicting emotions flooded through Shihebi as he tried to comprehend what he had just heard. Did his brother want to come back to his family? But it was his fault they were gone in the first place. But he changed. He didn't know what to think or how to react. "Ok…" He finally said. "I guess I'll just have to put Plan B into action. I'm bringing this whole tower down."

"I was afraid it would come to this." The Eye said. "I had pretty much known your intentions all along. Although I was surprised that you want to speak to Jiel." He stood up from his desk, revealing a double-ended electric javelin. "You've made quite a name for yourself recently, Shihebi, with all of the overseers you've killed."

"They deserve it, after betraying their own race." He snarled. "They all only live for themselves."

"Well, that's how we ought to survive, young man." The Eye suddenly appeared right in front of him. "That's why you will die. And the name of the man that will kill you is Uphiun, the first Eye of the King!"

Shihebi felt the javelin pierce his stomach, and immediately after he felt electricity running through his veins, paralyzing him. He dropped to his knees, but the javelin stayed lodged in his abdomen. He refused to give up, however. Gritting his teeth, he grasped the javelin right outside of his stomach. He shuddered as shockwaves were sent up his arm. Soon, the room lit up as lightning began to escape from his body. He cried out as the pain grew exponentially with each second. Soon, his body began to mutate because of the electricity. His eyes sunk into his skull and his face became more lean. The rest of his body seemed to tighten around his bones. The spikes on his shoulder blades split and went downward. He also grew more out of his spine and elbows. The electricity was triggering something bigger. His hair began to turn a deep shade of purple, like the streaks in the tower. It grew in length and stuck out backward. The black streaks on his face grew down to his shoulders and chest. His tongue grew thinner and split in two, and his teeth grew sharper and longer. The slits in his eyes also grew thinner. It was almost like he was a real snake. He gripped the javelin even harder, and it shattered, leaving several fragments in his stomach.

He let go of the javelin to look at his long, claw-like nails. He checked out his new form while Uphiun stared at him in terror. It was almost as if he blended in with the tower despite his green skin. Like any life coming from him had been disintegrated by the electricity. Then he smiled an empty smile which made those of Uphiun and the old man behind the counter seem genuine.

"Like I said...commencing Plan B."

* * *

Josh appeared out of the forest behind Martin. "How's everything playing out?" He asked.

Martin turned around. "Josh...it's really dangerous here, you should get out while you can."

"Yeah, yeah, I got that, whatever." Josh said, waving his hand at Martin. "That didn't answer my question."

"It's going well right now." Android Thirteen said. "Gogito has the upper hand."

"For now." Dalton put in. "He's already tired. And we just found out that this isn't Shihebi's true form, either. If you look at the bigger picture, it doesn't look very good."

Josh pulled a bag out of his pocket. "Well, I brought some Senzus if he needs some right now."

"You rock." Martin said. "Do you mind if I throw the bag out to Dom?"

"Nah, go ahead." Josh replied, handing the bag to Martin.

Martin took a couple steps out from the pack. "Hey, guys! Catch!" He called.

He tossed the bag out and it was caught by Dominick, who pretty much already knew what was in there. "Senzu bean?" He offered one to Gogito.

"Man, what a lifesaver." He said as he popped one into his mouth. "Alright, I'm good." He stood up as the fatigue melted from his body. "Go back to the other guys, now. I'll try to finish this quickly this time."

Dominick nodded and ran back to his friends.

Shihebi sneered. "You're awfully confident, thinking some energy restoring pill is a lifesaver."

"Let's just get to it." Gogito responded. "The faster we can finish this the better."

"Ah, don't worry about finishing this quickly. You've made it pretty obvious I can't beat you like this. But I need to beat you to progress my goal. So I've concluded that I'll need to transform again." He chuckled. "Then I'll be the one worrying about finishing this quickly."

Gogito stayed silent, preparing for whatever was to come.

"Watch this." Shihebi bragged. "Let's hope you don't get completely consumed by the despair you're about to witness." Still in midair, he bent slightly over, tensing all of his muscles. Instead of generating an outward wind, it felt as if everything were being drawn inward. The water below him rose and spiral in a ball around him, inner layers evaporating as more water was drawn up. Nothing could be seen within the ball of water, but the inward pull was steadily growing stronger. Then the water turned a dark shade of purple. It looked like the purple ball of water was ripping away at the space around it; a blackness emanated from its surface, making the purple more prominent. Then everyone, who's eyes were all glued on the ball, heard a deep cry from within and all of the water evaporated at once, leaving only a snake with a deep purple aura surrounding it. Shihebi now wore the same form as he took on at the age of thirty.

"That's...actually insane." Gogito murmured. "Your power just quadrupled."

"That's right." Shihebi said. "Now, this fight will end."

Josh fell to his knees. "What the hell is that…" He stammered. He doubled over and put his head in the sand. "We're done for...there's no way we can beat that thing. The world's going to end, oh God, oh God…" He was freaking out. He was consumed by despair.

Android 13 knelt beside him. "I'm going to get him out of here." He said. Then, he hoisted Josh onto his back and flew up and toward Ichimei and Kibito Kai.

Dalton shuddered. "There's no way Gogito can beat that guy, even as a Super Saiyan 2."

"We may be able to manage something if we all take him at the same time." Dominick said. "If we go four on one, we might be able to overpower him."

"Maybe." Dalton replied.

"It's worth a shot." Martin stepped forward.

The three of them ran out onto the beach to join Gogito. "Don't try to stop us from helping you." Dalton told Gogito.

"I wasn't going to." He responded. "I have to admit, I'm going to need it this time."

"Four on one?" Shihebi scoffed. "I guess that makes it nice and quick for me." The Snake lunged for the middle of the three.

* * *

Shihebi destroyed Iris Tower during his one and only visit. He also continued to brutally kill every single overseer on the planet, including ones that begged for their lives, and including ones that were only providing for their families. He would continue on his killing spree until he was met by a certain God of Destruction, whose role he would eventually take over.

 _People who live for only themselves don't deserve to live. People who live for only themselves inherently cause those without power to live in fear of those with power. This type of world is wrong. So I'll just have to make it right._


	23. 5

_Chapter XXIII : 5_

Android Thirteen spotted Ichimei and Kibito Kai below. Ichimei was sitting in the fetal position while the Kai seemed to be consoling her. He dropped down to greet them and probably take Ichimei with him as well.

Kibito Kai looked up at Thirteen when he landed. "What's happening out there?" He asked. "This feeling is a lot worse than uncomfortable."

"Shihebi transformed again." Thirteen replied. "I don't know how it's going to turn out for us this time."

"That's what we say every time." Kibito Kai said. "But somehow everyone makes it out alive in the end." He gave a nervous laugh. "I'm sure we'll be alright."

"Yeah." The android said after a moment of hesitation. Something just didn't seem right this time around. This morning seemed darker than the others, like a black haze settling on the horizon. He gently put his hand on Ichimei's shoulder. "I'm taking them somewhere safe, alright?"

The Kai nodded, but Ichimei shook her head. "I'm staying." She declared through shivers. "Dominick is here, and I'm not going anywhere unless he goes too."

"Don't be stupid, Ichimei." Kibito Kai tried to convince her. "For all we know, just being here could be causing irreversible damage to your well-being!"

Josh managed a laugh from Thirteen's back. "You won't be able to change her mind. And if she's staying, I am too. We'll get used to it. We just need a minute to rest."

Thirteen and Kibito Kai shot each other glances. Should they respect their wishes? Or should they take them off the island anyway?

"Well…" Kibito Kai finally said. "Dominick gave the 'okay' for you two to stay on the island, so I guess that's fine. But remember, I did promise him that I wouldn't hesitate to transport you guys to my planet if you were ever in immediate danger."

Josh lowered himself off of Thirteen's back and fell on his own with his arms spread eagle. "Just let me rest here for a while…" He felt a darkness fall over him as he faded out of consciousness.

* * *

The three boys were already powered up to Super Saiyan 4 before they even realized. Dalton drew his sword, an aura of fire billowing up from the blade. Dominick instinctively reached for his own sword only to remember that he had dropped it in his fight with Deis.

Shihebi's claw grazed Gogito's left cheek as he tried to move to the side. He drove an knee up into the Snake's chest, but it did little. He attempted a combo attack by bringing his elbow down on his back, but at the last moment, Shihebi disappeared.

"He's too fast." Gogito cursed.

He then reappeared, balancing one foot on top of Martin's head. Martin felt his life energy being drawn in through Shihebi's foot, and his body instantly felt heavy. Dalton then came at the two, his sword prepared for a strike aiming to take out the Snake's ankles. As he got close and swung his sword, Martin ducked to avoid the attack, which didn't matter to Dalton.

"Woah, there." Shihebi said as he pushed himself off of Martin's head and just over Dalton's sword. He flew up a little farther in the air, and Gogito followed him, throwing punches and kicks the whole time. One attack finally made contact, but it was only with Shihebi's palm. The two stood still in the air long enough for Dominick to rush up behind Shihebi and try to punch him in the back of the head. Shihebi saw through this, however. Gripping Gogito's fist, he swung him to hit Dominick in the side just before his attack landed.

The two tangled and tumbled through the air until they slammed into the sand of the beach. "Damn, what the hell?" Dominick cursed. "Is he all-seeing or something? I thought I concealed my presence really well."

"You did." Gogito replied as the two of them got up. "I think he's just that fast."

"You guys are something else." Shihebi scoffed. "I didn't think I would have to use this form. But here we are. And you guys think you magically have a chance just by teaming up?"

"What are you trying to say?" Dalton demanded.

"I'm surprised you took the most offense to that statement." Shihebi retorted. "You seem to be the lone wolf. And single fighters should stick to one-on-one fights." Dominick and Dalton have had a history of not working well together, and they'd never really fought with Gogito, only against him in training. "Also," he continued, "Teaming up doesn't mean you get to add your collective powers together. That's saved for something like a joint attack or a fusion. I can outmaneuver each of you individually with ease, so what makes you think I can't take on four at once? You guys can't land a real hit on me."

"We'll see about that." Gogito responded.

The four of them all rushed him together, but were all tossed to the side like toys. "You guys don't understand. My power is still rising." Shihebi said.

Dalton, who had taken the worst of the last blow, staggered on one knee. "This isn't going to work."

"What do you suggest, then?" Martin inquired.

Dalton waited for a moment, then spoke. "I'm thinking something like the three of us did against Buu." He said, gesturing to Dominick and Gogito. "We should pin him with all of our energy blasts at once."

"That's great - but how do we get him into a position where we can pin him?" Gogito said.

Dominick smiled at that. "I should be able to manage something." Everyone knew he would. He always did. "You guys just make a triangle formation around him. Initially, don't release your full power. We don't want him to dodge. I'll give you the signal of when to give it all you got." Everyone nodded. He didn't tell them the plan on purpose. He knew Shihebi could hear what they were saying. Then, he put two fingers to his forehead, closed his eyes, then vanished. _Instant Transmission._

"Alright, let's do this." Martin said, reassuring himself. Then they dispersed.

 _I see what they're trying to do._ Shihebi thought to himself as their energy built up around him. _The first three are going to come at me at about half strength to keep me occupied while the fourth is going to come at me from a different angle so I can't escape. But which angle? Probably from above. Yeah, it'll be from above. So I'll just let the first three hit me. And I'll send the fourth attack back at him with full force._

Gogito let a blue-green ball of energy accumulate in his palms. There was a slight smirk on his face when he released it. "Big Bang Kamehameha!"

Martin's ball of energy was brighter than the others. It shone a bright pale yellow and attracted lighting. "Final Flash!"

Dalton's energy formed on the end of his sword. All of the flames from the blade gathered around the purple energy. It looked unstable as it rotated, losing and regaining its spherical form. "Flaming Galactic Cannonball!"

These attacks were nothing to scoff at. Even Shihebi winced as they hit him, but he held out, waiting for the fourth attack to come. Sure enough, he saw the form of Dominick descending upon him from the sky. He smiled. "Fools!" He cried. "Did you really think I wouldn't be able to predict-" _Wait._ Something wasn't right. Dominick kept descending toward him, never firing an attack, and it seemed like he was speeding up. As he got closer, Shihebi noticed more. He seemed almost monochrome. He wasn't making any noise. He seemed like he was glowing - _Wait, he's glowing? No, that's not him! That's-_

He felt a hand grab onto his ankle. "What?!" He exclaimed. Then looked back up as the silhouette of Dominick began to glow even brighter. Suddenly, it completely deformed, and about a foot above his head, turned into a giant energy ball. It crashed onto his head with a force that almost made his knees buckle. The force wasn't letting up either. The ball had actually stopped above his head, and as if Dominick was a ghost above it, it fired down onto him.

Gogito, Martin, and Dalton took this as the signal that Dominick had spoken of, and released their full power. Shihebi, under all of this force already, somehow managed to notice the hand let go of his ankle. Seconds later, a blue light began to shine through the cracks and crevices in the crumbled ground. Then a cry rang out in the morning: "Kamehameha!" The blast came from underground. Dominick had used instant transmission to teleport himself underground and attack from below; the exact opposite of what Shihebi was expecting.

Dalton managed a chuckle. _That fool used the same trick as back then...he made a clone out of himself using his own energy. That's a trick I haven't seen in over seven years._

After a while, the blasts began to weaken, and eventually dissipated, leaving a massive dust cloud in the place where Shihebi was.

"Do you think we got him?" Martin asked between pants.

Dominick suddenly appeared on the surface, again with his fingers on his forehead. "That most likely wasn't enough to kill him." He replied. "But I know we at least did some damage."

Gogito chuckled. "Did you really dig yourself underground?" He asked. "What are you, a mole or something?"

Dominick fell back on his ass and smiled at his mentor. "It worked, didn't it?" They all began to laugh.

Then they heard Shihebi's voice from within the cloud and all turned serious. "Damn, you guys really got me." He groaned. "That actually hurt a lot. I didn't think you guys would be able to catch me off guard like that." Those who were sitting slowly began to stand back up. "Honestly, you guys were laughing just a second ago. True fear allows no room for laughter. Actually, that's probably my fault. I haven't really given you guys a reason to feel fear yet. Understand the hopelessness of your situation, and despair." A beam of black energy shot out of the cloud, causing it to deform into a ring. Shihebi wasn't there.

"Where'd he go?!" Martin exclaimed.

Gogito felt the presence behind him, and Shihebi felt the shift in Gogito's energy when he noticed him. Before Gogito could even turn around, he felt something pierce deep into his lower back. He winced in pain. He saw the terror-stricken eyes of his students, then looked down to see Shihebi's tail protruding out of his abdomen. "Ah, fuck-" He started to murmur before he was interrupted by a coughing fit. He could taste the blood in his mouth and he felt it run down his chin and drip onto Shihebi's tail. A dribble turned into a steady flow, and he began to feel dizzy. Shihebi then quickly and painfully ripped his tail out of Gogito's stomach. His blood splattered on the sand and suddenly he could no longer hold himself upright.

Dalton and Martin were frozen. Dominick screamed, "GRAMPS!" and ran to his master, who was now on the floor. "Martin, do you have the Senzus?!" He yelled, panicking.

"Yeah," Martin said as he reached behind his belt and pulled out the little bag. "Hurry!" He threw the bag to Dominick.

"Oh, I don't think so." Shihebi said as he appeared between the two of them, intercepting the bag. "I stabbed him for a reason, so don't go interfering with my plans." He crushed contents of the bag, and provided enough energy from his hand to disintegrate it all.

"Bastard…" Martin growled.

Gogito coughed again. "I let my guard down…" He managed.

"Don't talk." Dominick told him. His hands were completely covered in blood.

"It's alright, Dominick." Gogito said. "You can beat this guy."

"What are you talking about? You saw what he did."

"No, I know you have it in you. Dende and Kibito Kai both see it as well. Your dormant power is itching to come up to the surface. I've had my suspicions about a level above Super Saiyan 4. Now you just have to prove me right."

Dominick suddenly felt tears streaming down his face. "Quit talking like that." He said. "Quit saying I'll be alright without you. You aren't going anywhere. You aren't going to die. You can't die."

Gogito made a fist and raised it up to Dominick's face. "I believe in you. You have to believe that you can do it." Dominick shut his eyes and shook his head. "Dominick...all of you guys...I'm really proud of you all." Then his fist dropped. Martin looked away. Dalton closed his eyes and looked down. It felt like time had stopped along with his heart.

"This despair," Shihebi said, "is what all those people that you neglect to protect feel everyday." He only stared with empty eyes as Dominick cried over Gogito's body.

Dominick slammed his fists on the ground, creating two mini-craters in the sand. He slammed the ground again. And again. Then, lightning struck the ground right next to him. _Since when was there a storm?_ He didn't care. Gogito was like his father. He'd taught him so much. "I never got to surpass you." Gogito's body blurred in his vision until it couldn't be seen anymore. He slammed the ground once again, but this time it felt like it cracked the whole planet. His body began to glow as more lightning strikes accumulated around him.

"What the hell is this?" Dalton exclaimed upon realizing what was happening. "His power is skyrocketing."

Dominick's brown hair began to flash golden. But...he was still in his Super Saiyan 4 form. His power kept rising and rising. He slammed the ground once more, and an insanely bright golden light shot up around him as he let out an ear-piercing cry that could be heard throughout the whole island.

Dalton and Martin looked at each other as they shielded their faces from the sand flying everywhere. Both of their looks said _'is this what I think it is?'_

Shihebi didn't look surprised, but his confident face had been wiped away. No one could be sure just how strong Dominick could get.

As the light dimmed, Dominick got up from his knees. He had a golden aura of energy rising in a ball around him. He still was covered in the red fur of the Super Saiyan fur, but his hair was now all golden and flowed up with the energy. His eyes were shining a deep turquoise color. Other than that, he looked physically identical to before. But it was also like he was a different person. He picked up Gogito's body and carried it to where Dalton and Martin were. No one said anything to each other. Dominick just set Gogito down and blew a hole in the ground with a ki blast. He proceeded to set Gogito in the hole and cover it up. _Can't stop moving forward._

Dalton walked up to him. "Dominick...that form." He said. A pang of anger struck through him. _Wait, anger? Why am I angry?_ Without a doubt, the anger was directed toward Dominick.

"How in the hell did you do this?" Martin said, looking him up and down.

Dominick looked with glazed eyes at Martin, then shook himself back into reality. _Oh, right. There's no time to be sad, yet._ "I think...I combined the power of a Super Saiyan 4 with the power of a normal Super Saiyan. That would make sense, I guess. Super Saiyan 4 was never really on the normal progression of Super Saiyan forms."

"So, what does that make it? A Super Saiyan 5 or something?" Martin asked.

Dominick looked down at his own hands. _Super Saiyan 5, huh?_


	24. A God is Born

_Chapter XXIV : A God is Born_

The surface of Planet Jeural was pretty much deserted. There were probably less than ten Jeuri that were still alive on the surface, and one of them was Shihebi, now 45 years old. He had reverted back into the form of a child in order to keep himself from aging. It was night, and it was cold. Everyone he was trying to protect was underground, staying warm. But he was alone, huddled around a little fire in the middle of nowhere.

He felt a strong power appear on the surface of the planet. "Could this be something?" He asked himself. He looked up to see the shadow of a hawk flying through the air. There weren't any birds like that on Planet Jeural. He decided to follow it.

As he slowly caught up to it, he noticed it would stop for a while and then start flying again. It was like it was looking for something. Upon getting closer, he saw that it actually had a humanoid figure, just with huge hawk-like wings. "Hey." Shihebi called. "What are you looking for?"

The hawk's feathers stood up as it turned around. "You startled me." It said. "I was looking for signs of life. You're the first one I've found."

"Everyone left alive is underground." Shihebi replied.

"What even happened here?" It asked.

"Detombe du Rois enslaved our planet 45 years ago. He pumped all the resources that were worth his time out of here, and left us all to die."

"Detombe, huh?" It said, scratching its head. "That guy's still around? He was a huge pain in our asses like 400 years ago."

"Who the hell are you?" Shihebi demanded.

The hawk-man smiled. "Courione, God of Destruction of Universe 12. Pleasure to meet you. And your name?"

"Shihebi."

"Shihebi? Damn, how old are you?" He exclaimed. "That name sounds ancient."

"I'm only 45." He said.

"Well, then your parents must have been very well educated."

"My mother used to read a lot of old books, or so she told me."

"Well, do you know how many of you there are left underground?"

"5,000 maybe?"

"Ah, that's good." Courione said. "I can transport all of you guys to a different planet. This one's pretty much uninhabitable at this point."

"Wait...you can get people off of this dump?" Shihebi asked.

"Well, yeah." He bragged. "I need to get the people off before I blow it up. I'm a God of Destruction, after all. I'm basically taking out the trash."

Shihebi shook his head. "Hold on. So Gods of Destruction, Angels, other Universes and all that stuff...it's all real?"

"Uh, yeah. I think I'm real." He laughed.

"And you guys...actually help people? All of Mother's books said you guys only acted for your own self interest."

"Well, we used to. But Universe 12 just got a new Angel like 100 years ago, and he's really devoted to saving the people of all the Universes. Almost to a fault." Courione explained. Since he and I are the two strongest in the Organization, we go on solo missions all the time. He fosters life on new planets while I evacuate and destroy the dying ones."

For some reason, although Shihebi was almost definitely stronger than this God, he felt as small as an ant. It was actually probably because he was stronger that he felt so insignificant. He had spent so much time focusing on the problems directly relating to himself, and getting himself stronger, and this God had been saving more people than he could imagine for more than 400 years. _I am nothing but a child. Until I can compare myself to Courione, that's all I will ever be._

* * *

Shihebi went with Courione and the other Jeuri to their new planet. It was a shade of green they'd never seen before, but it was rather plain, too. Just two huge islands: one huge grass field and one huge desert. At least the weather didn't change much. The planet wasn't tilted on its axis at all, so there were no seasons, and the same side of the planet was facing the sun at all times. That meant in the grass fields, it was always day, and in the desert, it was always night. Shihebi asked Courione if he could come to the Organization's headquarters, but Courione said that wasn't allowed, the Hawk had grown rather attached to the Snake after he helped him transport all of the Jeuri, so he came to visit often. It was dark when the two met, so Shihebi couldn't get a good look at his face. Upon arriving at the new planet, Shihebi saw it for the first time. He had brown hair with bangs that fell just barely above his eyes. He wore a warm smile that never seemed to leave his face, and he always squinted his eyes. His wings were the same color as his hair. He almost gave off the vibe of a caring grandparent.

Shihebi didn't feel the same for Courione. In fact, his admiration vanished shortly after the two met on Jeural, and a hatred began to grow. Courione had virtually no perception of the sensibility of those weaker than him. He only saw them as animals, whose only purpose in life was to wait to be saved. This meant he couldn't comprehend their fear, pride, or any emotion like that. It was only his job to save them, and those who got in the way were killed. When they were explaining to the Jeuri that the planet was dying and they had to be transported to a different planet, one old female started creating a scene, saying that she would rather die on her home planet than to be transported to somewhere she had never even heard of. He decapitated her on the spot. No change of face, nothing. Just the same squinty-eyed smile he always wore.

Courione's impact on Shihebi wasn't all bad, however. For one, Shihebi gained resolve to complete his goals. But there was one thing that hit him even harder. The two talked for awhile before going underground. At one point, Shihebi had asked how he could save more people. "You have a strong sense of justice, just like my Angel." Courione said. "But you hide your emotions, I can tell. Emotions are what drive us to achieve our goals. You have to let them out. I have a feeling your built up emotions will be even stronger than I am." It wasn't that easy to just let your emotions out. But Shihebi made a promise to himself that he would train himself to do so on a whim.

One night in the desert Shihebi saw Courione talking to a man in black robes with purple hair. He'd never seen that man in his life, but he paid it no mind.

While he was asleep in the middle of the desert, someone approached him. Shihebi felt bloodlust behind him in his sleep. He quickly rolled over as talon-like fingers jabbed into the sand. _It has to be that purple-haired guy-_ It wasn't. "Courione?"

"My informant Mr. Rievere has told me about what you did on planet Jeural." Courione said. "You committed genocide against the surface-dwelling Jeuri."

Shihebi was speechless. _Who is this Mr. Rievere, and how did he see all of my actions without me noticing? And why was he watching?_ This was starting to seem like some conspiracy put together in order to kill him and make it seem like a good deed. _Maybe the Organization thought I was getting too strong. Maybe they were afraid of me. If that's the case, then that's all the more reason to take charge of this whole thing by myself._

"To be honest, the way you're sense of justice works, I'm sure you had a good reason to kill all of them." The hawk admitted. "But...what you don't know is that my sense of justice is far stricter than yours, or even Deis's. And you lied to me."

 _Deis._ That was the Angel's name. It would be good to remember that name.

Shihebi transformed into his purple-serpent form. "I have to thank you, Courione." He said. "Even through your twisted sense of justice and reality, you've taught me more than I could ask for. Even as you part from this world, you are giving yet another invaluable gift to me."

Courione's smile faded for the first time at the sight of his form. "You hid all of this power from me...yet another thing you've lied about." The look on his face wasn't that of hear. Only anger was shown right up to his last breath.

"Now there's an open spot for me as a God of Destruction." Shihebi said. But this victory didn't give him the satisfaction he thought it would. Courione had a solid system of morals that he stood by. He truly believed he was in the right, even while killing a defenseless old Jeuri. He never wavered, never feared. Although Shihebi hated Courione, deep down he harbored some respect for the God.

* * *

Kibito Kai and Thirteen froze when they felt Gogito's life force disappear.

"Gogito just...died." Thirteen said. "There's no way…"

The two stood silent until they felt Dominick's power start to rise. The both got lumps in their throats when feeling the pain being exerted in his power. But it didn't stop rising.

"What does he thinking he's doing?!" Kibito Kai exclaimed. "Is he trying to kill himself?" Then the lightning began to strike, and his power completely skyrocketed. "This is absolutely insane."

They saw a golden light extend on in a cylindrical shape from the beach. Then everything calmed down. They could feel the warmth of the energy from all the way across the island.

"What was that?" Ichimei asked. "I thought I heard Dominick scream."

"You probably did." Josh said, now wide awake. "The fool probably just went Super Saiyan 5 or something." He looked around as Thirteen and Kibito Kai stared at him in confusion. "What? Super Saiyan 4 was the latest form, right? Or did I lose count?"

Kibito Kai looked off into the distance toward the beach. "No, you may actually be right." He said. "That is definitely a power I've never seen exhibited by Dominick."

"Well, whatever it is, I think it's cancelling out the darkness from that Shihebi guy, because I don't really feel scared anymore." Josh replied. "I'm going back there."

Ichimei shot up. "Hey, I'm going too!"

"Hey, wait-" Thirteen called as the two ran into the forest. He gave Kibito Kai a look and shrugged his shoulders. "I guess we should follow them."

* * *

"I'll take care of him." Dominick said. "You guys just stand back."

"Don't pull that shit with me." Dalton replied. "You don't even know if you can take him or not."

Dominick looked down at his brother. "That's exactly why I need to do this alone."

Dalton couldn't argue with that. For some reason, he still felt some sort of uneasiness around Dominick. There was some familiarity spewing from within him that reeked of unfamiliarity. He couldn't make any sense of it.

As Dominick left his friends behind to go face his enemy, Ichimei and Josh appeared out of the forest. Dominick turned around when he heard them. "Dalton, Martin," he said, "protect them with your lives."

"You don't need to tell us." Martin responded.

He turned toward Shihebi. "We're going to move locations." Dominick said.

"What good would that do?" Shihebi asked.

"I don't think I asked for your input."

"Is it to protect your loved ones? That seems selfish of you, only caring about those close to you."

"I don't care. All that matters to me now is defeating you. Whether or not that falls into your structure of morality is of no concern to me."

"You have no right to claim vengeance on me-" His voice was stopped by the force of Dominick's fist in his gut driving him off the island.

Ichimei ran to the shore as the two flew into the horizon. "DON'T GO!" She cried out. Dominick didn't look back.

"Where are we going?" Shihebi asked. There was no answer. "You're in pain, aren't you? You're growing distant from your friends by trying to hide your emotions from them. You want to stay by them, don't you? But you believe this decision will yield the greatest outcome."

"Shut the fuck up."

"Holding your emotions in isn't good." He said. "I've only truly looked up to two people in my life. One was my mother, and she died when I was ten. The other…" He paused. "I can't say I really looked up to him for long, but he did say to me on the day that I met him that emotions are what drive you to your goals. Hiding your emotions will only hold you back from defeating me. You have to let them out."

"It doesn't look to me like you've taken that advice." Dominick retorted.

"What you're seeing right now is no more than a stage of my life before I became a God of Destruction." Shihebi explained. "I have taken that advice, but it wasn't easy for me to release my emotions. After being a slave and being betrayed by my brother and father, I concluded that all attachments were superficial, since it was often stated family was the deepest bond one could form. I trained my mind to be void of emotion, which gave me the form I used to kill Axita and Deis. After finding out about my brother's death, I realized I was still letting some emotion leak, and I managed to take on the form you see now." He smiled. "But then I met Courione. After he died, I vowed to train myself in order to release my emotions, and I also made another promise to myself in the process. Once I could release my emotions at will, it was likely that I could morph between the different stages in my life at will. That turned out to be true. I decided that I would revert into my child form until I could save the lives of the people of the Omniverse, unless I absolutely had to transform in order to progress toward my goal."

"So you can control your emotions at will, then?" Dominick asked, suddenly interested.

"Yeah." Shihebi responded. "Although at first, they came out against my will. I guess that's how it usually happens."

"What the hell could have forced _your_ emotions out?"

"Exactly what has been crippling all of your friends." Shihebi said. "Despair. Hopelessness. Those feelings were forced upon me, forced down my throat, by none other than my enslaver, Detombe du Rois. With my body being fill with despair, all of the previously bottled up emotions inside me had nowhere to go but out."


	25. Informant

_Chapter XXV : Informant_

"Detombe is the strongest man I've ever fought." Shihebi said. "Because even after releasing my emotions...I still couldn't even lay a finger on him. He is the only person I've ever truly lost to."

It took a couple of seconds for Dominick to realize the weight of that statement. _Shihebi killed Gogito in one strike. And in a form stronger than the one he used to kill Gogito, he couldn't even touch this guy?_

"You're probably number two, then." Shihebi said. "I haven't really gotten the chance to fight any real strong people. Most of them are either long deceased or in exile. I've read a lot about the Makara Warriors of ancient times, and I know Detombe was alive during that time; the 2nd Omniversal War, about 54 millenia ago. He had gained immortality before the Great Power Extinction, and he managed to perfect the art of _zombification_. So when he lost his immortality, he was able to remain as a being through those techniques. He was arguably stronger then than he is now, and even then...his power was nothing to be noted. At least that what the books said. Every other warrior during the War made him look like a little ant." Shihebi gave a little chuckle. "And even still...at my absolute full strength, I couldn't even touch him."

* * *

"Deis is sending me to Planet Amorvi, which is in my Universe, I guess." Shihebi said to Axita as he pulled his brown gi over his head. "Do you want to come with me?"

"I can't, sorry." Axita replied. "Mesui and I have to go to a diplomatic meeting with Queen Versilla. I think she's causing trouble again." He shook his head. "She's a noble leader, but when it comes to dissent, she's an iron fist."

It was only about four years after Shiebi had become a God of Destruction. He was now around sixty years of age.

"I guess you'd only hold me back." Shihebi said with a quick snort.

Axita raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You think you're stronger than me now? Care to put that to the test?"

Axita was only outspoken like that with Shihebi, and both of them knew it. Sparring and exchanging banter with Axita gave Shihebi an unfamiliar warmth in his chest. It was something he knew he was not supposed to be feeling, but it just happened despite his efforts to stop it. _I can't form attachments._ He said to himself. But it was beyond his control at this point; his body was already nearing the point where he could release his emotions.

"Axita, you ready to leave?" Mesui's voice came from outside the Gods' chambers.

"I'll be right out." He called back, then looked over to the Snake. "We'll continue this little contest after we return." Then he stuck out his hand toward shihebi, palm up.

Shihebi responded by making a fist and lowering it onto Axita's palm. "Of course." He replied.

As the two walked off, his smile melted into a frown. _I can't form attachments._

* * *

Planet Amorvi was a gray chunk of rock. It was as if everything on the planet had been covered in a gray slime that was dried and cracking. From the cracks came magma, which then hardened into another layer of gray. Once cracks were sealed by the very magma seeping out, others formed, but not at the rate that they were being sealed. This meant pressure was building inside the planet, and it would eventually blow up. That was why he needed to escort the people of this planet onto a safer one.

He sensed absolutely no life forces on the planet. But there was movement at the surface, so he went to go check it out. The life forms here were humanoid, but had no human intelligence. They only roamed about and groaned and grunted with no purpose to any of it. They were like zombies.

Upon realizing they could not understand speech, he decided to search the planet some more. It only took him a couple of minutes to find a massive tower shaped like an eye, just like the one on Planet Jeural. Only this one was three times as big. A form of rage and anticipation bubbled up within him. Detombe had rule over this planet, too. But this one seemed a little different from Jeural. The zombies roaming around weren't slaves. They were just...there. That created a likely possibility that Detombe du Rois himself was in that tower. Now was Shihebi's chance to put a face on the ghost of the ruler of a vast amount of planets in Universe 12, and perhaps the greatest tyrant since the Twins of the Divine Tree. All these thoughts were running through his head at a million miles per second. The Twins of the Divine Tree, whose real names were lost to time, were said to be birthed by the Creator of the Universe herself. The old Jeuri books and the Library of Infinity at the Organization's Headquarters both said these two were responsible for starting the Second Omniversal War, although it was more of a massacre. They were also responsible for the deaths of many of the Makara Warriors of those ancient times. They also disappeared, however, during the Great Power Extinction.

Shihebi entered. This guy was a nobody, according to the texts. He couldn't be that hard to beat. Before he had realized his intentions, he had already abandoned his original mission as he pushed open the giant gray doors. The inside was the same as on Planet Jeural. Eerily the same. This time, however, no one paid him any mind as he walked up each flight. No guards tried to stop him, no smiles from any old men; nothing. Every being in the tower was a zombie. Before long, he found himself at the top floor, the same black doors facing him. He drew a deep breath, and held it as he opened the doors.

It was as if Detombe du Rois had been waiting for him. He sat behind a black desk with his hands clasped resting on the desk in front of him. He wore a purple cape with white fur at the top, and black robes underneath. On top of his head was an over-vibrant crown, sparkling with jewels of all different colors. But something was off about him, too, like the other people of this planet. His skin was gray, his sclera were black, and his irises were a glazed, lifeless, white. _He is a zombie, too._

"Welcome." He said in a mocking tone. Upon scanning Shihebi, a small hint of surprise was shown on his face. "I was told someone was coming, but I did not think it would be a Jeuri. I was under the impression that all of you had died already."

In a blind rage, Shihebi lunged himself at Detombe. The two of them broke through the mirror behind the desk and came tumbling down the back of the tower. Shihebi could feel his emotions steadily leaking out. He could feel his strength growing because of it, but he was also scared.

Detombe slipped out from under Shihebi while the two were still falling, and both landed on their feet. "Who told you I was coming here?" The Snake demanded.

Detombe smiled. "You might actually know this name. Does Rievere ring a bell?" He laughed at how Shihebi's eyes widened at the mention of Mr. Rievere. "He's your informant, right? Wrong. He's a spy for me, relaying information about the Organization to me, and giving false information to you." Shihebi already didn't trust Mr. Rievere because of the incident with Courione, but he never would have thought that he was actually in league with Detombe. As far as Shihebi knew, Mr. Rievere had only seen Shihebi's second form, the one he used to kill the overseers. He had only shown his child form to anyone from the Organization, so there was no reason Mr. Rievere would know the two were one and the same. _Mr. Rievere knew that Detombe was on this planet. He purposely put me in this trap by telling Detombe I was coming. So why would he want to kill me? Does he know I'm the same one as before?_

"Well?" The Zombie King said. "Are you going to attack? I should warn you that anything you try will be futile. Your race was nothing but weaklings. If you're anything like them, you should just give up and go home. Always spouting about how 'none of this is right,' and 'we won't work for you anymore.' All of the dissenters were brought here and disposed of by me, personally. I consider it humane."

With that, Shihebi suddenly screamed and all of what he had been holding in for so long-all of his pain, all of his regrets-were released in the form of raw power. As the power fell out of him, his body was morphed once again. This time, his body became much more muscular, but not as big and tall as in his second form. It was more sleek. His hair spiked up, but now fell slightly forward, and was jet black. The streaks now extended all the way down his torso and spiraled around his tail.

"I'll kill you!" Shihebi cried as he lunged at Detombe again. The Snake had more power flowing through him than he could have ever imagined, but it seemed like it was muted before it reached his opponent. _He is the one responsible for all of this. My mother, my brother, everyone...they are gone because of him! This is the reason I have to become stronger! No one should have to go through this!_ His power kept rising, but the effectiveness of his attacks did not rise with it. He knew Detombe was only toying with him, but he also knew that his guard was completely down because of it. He kept at it. He embraced the power within him, and could feel his attacks grow faster and faster. Then he felt his fist break the skin of Detombe's cheek. He surprised himself, so much so that he paused to register that it had actually happened. In that time, Detombe's face twisted into rage at his wound. He brought both fists down onto Shihebi's head, and the fight was over.

"You shouldn't have done that, Jeuri." Detombe sneered. "Now I'll have to kill you for disgracing me." A sharp white aura formed his forearm as he pointed all of his fingers at the unconscious snake on the ground.

"That's enough, Detombe." Someone said. Purple hair flashed between the Zombie and the Snake.

"Rievere." He said, a sort of disappointment in his voice. "Why are you here?"

"Don't give me that. And that's 'Mr. Rievere' to you." He responded curtly. "You know you've already completed your job. I specifically stated that the Jeuri was to remain alive and in shape to resume his duties immediately. I don't know how hard you just hit him, but it is possible there could be some damage to his head, which would mean you failed your mission."

A cold drip started to drip down Detombe's forehead. "I-I didn't hit him that hard, believe me." He stammered.

"You don't pay a lot of attention to orders for a lot of your missions, Detombe." Mr. Rievere said. "Although they don't seem to have a purpose now, every little detail plays its own part into the master plan. _He_ is able to see everything. You would do well to remember that."

"Y-yes, Mr. Rievere." Detombe managed as the purple-haired informant walked away with Shihebi slung over his shoulder.

* * *

Shihebi awoke with a start in his bed. He was back in his chambers, but had no idea how he got there. He decided to get up and see what time it was.

Deis was waiting outside his room. "You're awake." He said.

"How did I get back?" Shihebi asked.

"Mr. Rievere came into the headquarters carrying you over his shoulder. He said you'd already blown up the planet and were lying unconscious on a neighboring one."

 _Did I blow up that planet? I don't really remember much after…_ He recalled the events up to when he was knocked out. _That's right, I was lured into a trap._ "Why did you sent me that planet specifically?" He asked.

"Mr. Rievere said it was of utmost importance that it be evacuated immediately." Deis responded.

 _So it was him._ His suspicions were confirmed. "I want to have a word with Mr. Rievere."

"Ain't that funny." Deis chuckled. "The thing is, right after he dropped you off here, he resigned from his position as our informant. Now we have to go through the pain of finding a new one."

"Is that it?" Shihebi asked. "Did he say anything else?"

"Something like that his job here was finished or something...I wasn't really listening."

* * *

"I think your friends are following us." Shihebi said to Dominick as they flew to a larger island straight ahead of them. "Your plan to separate us from them failed. Whatever. That's how I want it. Once they get here, I will show them the true power of my despair."

Dominick clicked his tongue once he felt their powers off in the distance. "Just don't get them involved with our battle." He said. "If one of them gets hurt, I'm going to lose it. I'm serious."

"Oh, don't worry." Shihebi said as they touched the ground of the bigger island. "I won't get them involved. They're already doing that themselves. If they die, that's their fault. They _are_ evil, anyway."

Dominick smirked. "Don't be stupid. The only evil one out of my friends is myself."


	26. Change of Ownership

_Chapter XXVI : Change of Ownership_

A long silence hung as Ichimei dramatically dropped to her knees on the shore of the little island. It felt like an eternity. Everyone expected her to do something, and eventually, she did, although it was not what any of them expected.

She suddenly stood up and started wading into the ocean. Everyone lost it.

"ICHIMEI, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TRYING TO DO?!" Martin screamed as he jumped up.

"I'm following them." She replied simply. "I'm going to swim."

"And what are you going to do when you get lost at sea?" Dalton asked her.

"I won't get lost." She said. "Because I can always feel when Dominick is close."

"Ichimei, this is ridiculous." Kibito Kai said. "You have to understand that Dominick is doing what's best for you."

"I know that, but…" She stopped to think. "But then he was in a lot of pain when he left, I could feel it. I'm just getting a bad feeling."

"Like what?" Dalton inquired.

"It's just like after Katsu shot me...and…" She trailed off.

"The Black Sclera." Kibito Kai said. "Dominick killed that Katsu, didn't he?"

Everyone exchanged looks at each other. Dominick killed..? That couldn't be right.

Thirteen just looked down. Martin noticed that his hands were slightly balled into a fist. He could tell an effort was being made to keep from clenching them.

Dalton felt his heart sinking further. He was really trying to contain his rage, but it was slipping. _Katsu was Sakumi's best friend. She made it seem like he'd just broken free, and now he's dead. How will she react to that? And Katsu was a normal human. He couldn't even fly like Josh could. He was scared. He'd just snapped and killed his parents, and he was afraid. How much is Dominick hiding from me? Did he really kill our dad? Did he-_

"Dalton!"

He snapped back from within his thoughts and looked around. He had no idea who had called his name.

"You weren't close with Katsu, were you?" Martin asked. "You're teeming with hate right now."

"Oh, it's nothing." He replied with a little laugh. _Was I? I thought I was concealing it._

"Well, I'm going." Ichimei declared as she started to wade into the ocean.

"Wait," Josh interjected. "I'll take you there. Hop on my back." He looked back at everyone apologetically.

"I guess that means we have to go, too." Martin said. "We did promise we would protect Ichimei with our lives." Martin looked at Dalton as he said this, but Dalton would not hold his gaze.

Thirteen began walking toward the shore. "Well, if you all are going, there's no point in any of us staying here, is there?"

Everyone nodded in agreement, and with that they all took off to follow Dominick and Shihebi.

* * *

"So what's the plan?" Shihebi asked. "Do you want to just sit around while we wait for them to get here? I won't show you my true form until everyone is here."

"I don't think so." Dominick said. "To be honest, I don't really care about seeing your true form. I care about my friends. So I think I'm going to kill you now, before they get here."

"That's a really dangerous amount of rage you have there. It feels a lot worse than it did on the way here."

"Yeah, it's strange, isn't it?" Dominick replied. "I don't really get it myself, but I feel like it's giving me power, so I'm not going to question it right now." Then without warning, he jumped into a familiar stance. With his hands positioned to hold a ball at his back hip, his energy began to concentrate and manifest. "So I'm going to end this now, and be done with it, before I can't go back." The he began the chant. _Ka… Me…_ The energy began to manifest in his hands. _Ha…_ After reached an inch in diameter, it suddenly bulged out to about five feet in diameter like a bubble being popped. He jumped forward a little out of surprise. He didn't think the difference in power would be this great. _Me…_ He struggled to compress it back down into a manageable size.

Shihebi took a couple of steps back. _Shit. I don't think I'll be able to block this. I guess I'll have to-_

 _HAAA!_ The blast was released before he could finish his thoughts. Shihebi jumped up out of instinct. The blast missed, and as Shihebi looked down on it from the air, he saw that it had cut a huge trench through the entire island. While he was in awe at the island, Dominick was already upon him. Shihebi turned around to find Dominick's fist planted on his face. He was knocked back, but was able to stop himself before he went too far. The they stood still.

"I won't miss next time." Dominick said with a smile.

"What's with you?" Shihebi demanded. "You weren't like this before."

Dominick laughed. "What do you mean? I've always been like this. I just haven't gotten the chance to take control-" He froze mid-sentence. _What was I going to say? Take control of...this body? That's not what I wanted to say, I-_

"They're here." Shihebi said.

"Fuck…" Dominick said as the two descended to the ground. He put his palm over his left eye. "Not right now…"

When they landed, Dominick looked over to his friends. "I'm glad you're here, to be honest." He said. "I'm having a little bit of a rough time, for reasons unrelated to Shihebi's strength." Then he looked at Ichimei. "If you get hurt, I…" He didn't finish the sentence and just turned back around.

"I can already feel it in him, struggling to get out." Ichimei whispered. "That dark feeling; the Black Sclera. Now he has to fight while keeping it inside...it's too much."

Shihebi smiled and said, "It's clear to me that I can't beat you in this form. So I will defeat you with my true form."

"Why do you even have to defeat us?" Dalton said. "It's not like we're going to get in the way of you 'protecting the Universes' or whatever you want to do."

Shihebi glared at Dalton. "It's that apathy. I've already told you. When you say 'protecting the Universes or whatever', that tells me that you don't care what happens in the Universes."

"To be frank, I really don't care what happens outside of this planet and the people I care about." Dalton said. Dominick nodded in agreement.

"And that is _evil_. Why don't you understand? As someone with a vast amount of power, you are _obligated_ to protect those who don't have it, no matter what lengths you must go to. If you realized that at the beginning, your master would not have had to die."

"But it's too late for that, isn't it?" Dominick said. "Our master is dead, and we now need revenge."

"Then die believing that you will have it." A blinding light began to spill from the Snake, along with the dark and despair. It seemed like everything was just falling out. He then screamed as his body morphed and his aura exploded in a flash of light and dark. He had never screamed in his earlier transformations. When the light died down, it revealed the chiseled body of Shihebi's final form. His jet black hair hung forward in front of his face, but not far enough down to cover his eyes. This form resembled a grown up version of his first form more than anything else.

"Insane..." Martin murmured. "I can't even tell who has the upper hand anymore."

"Neither." Android Thirteen said. "They are equal."

"No...I think Shihebi might actually be a tad stronger." Kibito Kai added.

Martin stepped toward the Dominick and Shihebi. "Let us help, Dominick. We can't afford to take chances here."

"I can handle him." Dominick replied. "I need you guys to focus on protecting Ichimei, since you wanted to come all the way here."

Martin started to retort again, but stopped. "So you're mad about that, huh?"

"How can I not be?" Dominick said. "But there's nothing we can do about it now." He turned around and went to approach Shihebi.

The Snake smiled as his opponent came closer. "I want you to work for me." He said. "It's not too late to change your ways. You are very powerful, and I can only see you getting stronger. It seems as though you still holding back some emotion."

Dominick winced at the last sentence. At that moment, he was desperately holding back the emotion that was the Black Sclera. "I appreciate the offer, but I already told you I can't do that."

"Then at the very least, from a fighter's standpoint, I would like to beat you at your strongest." Suddenly, he appeared at Dominick's back. Dominick felt three quick jabs-one at each shoulder blade and one at the lower spine-and then he felt as if a barrier was lifted within him. A barrier was lifted; one that was holding a certain wooden cross together.

Dominick realized what was happening to him just before he blacked out.

He woke up kicking and yelling in his pitch black subconscious world as the Black Sclera mirror image of himself held him on the ground with a knee in his gut and a hand gripping his throat. His yells turned into croaks. The Black Sclera took his free hand and reached behind his back and pulled out Dominick's sword, unsheathed.

Dominick's eyes widened as he realized the Black Sclera's intentions, but there was nothing he could do. He felt powerless, like his arms couldn't even lift the molecules in the air.

The Black Sclera leaned in close to Dominick's face, smiled, and muttered four words: _It's my turn, now._

Then the sword sank into Dominick's heart.

* * *

"What did Shihebi just do?" Martin asked, not necessarily looking for an answer. Everyone just stood in silence as they watched Dominick's lack of movement. It was as if he was frozen solid. He did not drop to the ground, or even stagger for that matter.

"Wait, look at his hair!" Josh exclaimed.

"It's turning black…" Martin observed. "Is he reverting back into a Super Saiyan 4?"

Dalton, realizing what it was, stepped back. "No, this is…"

Ichimei and Kibito Kai had known from the start.

Dominick turned around to face his friends. Ichimei's heart sank at the sight of him. Both of his scleras were black. His hair and fur were black, too. He gave them a smile. It wasn't Dominick. "Nice to meet you all." He said. Then he set his eyes on the younger brother. "Dalton. This is the first time I've been able to take a good, long look at you. I think you're my favorite."

Dalton took another step back. He didn't know what to think. He was standing face to face with the man who took his father's life.

"You must be angry with me." The Black Sclera said. "After all...you already know what I did. I showed you myself." Dalton was completely speechless. "But you must know...that I am only a manifestation of the evil already within Dominick. I would not be able to exist if not for the inherent evil within him. So it isn't _really_ my fault, is it?" The look on his face said 'please forgive me' in a mocking way.

"You damn bastard…" Dalton murmured. The rage was building up in him again, but he had to restrain himself. There was no way he could defeat him in this form. Super Saiyan 5 was too powerful.

The Black Sclera's face hardened. "I can give you the power you need to protect the ones you love." He said.

Dalton shook his head. "I don't have anyone like that."

"Don't play dumb with me." He retorted. "I showed you all those dreams, I showed you what I did to your father; I can get inside your head. Of course I can read your emotions as well. You want the power to protect your mother, and to protect Sakumi. I can give you the power, but you have to join me."

"Don't listen to him, Dalton." Martin said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "And you," he turned to look at the Black Sclera, if you hurt Dominick, or anyone in my fiance's family, I'll-"

"You'll what?" the Black Sclera mocked him. "You don't even know if I have a material body or not. Are you willing to kill your friend?" There was silence. "That's what I thought." He said with a chuckle. Then he turned around to face Shihebi again.

"This is not what I expected." Shihebi said.

"Regardless," The Black Sclera replied, "I have to thank you. I had hoped to take control today, but you really made it easy for me." His feet left the ground. "Now, if you'll excuse me."

Dalton lost it. Those around him saw his body go up in flames before he disappeared.

As the The Black Sclera flew away, his smile faded. _I've finally done it. Now I just have to find Master Hangyaku, and then..._

Both Shihebi and Dalton appeared in the Black Sclera's path. They looked at each other out of the corner of their eyes, then looked back.

"Get lost." Dalton told Shihebi. "This is our problem to deal with."

"I could say the same to you." Shihebi retorted.

The Black Sclera laughed. "Don't fight over me. Just let me leave, and I won't hurt either of you."

Dalton suddenly rushed forward and planted a fist deep into the Black Sclera's gut. He looked up into Dominick's blood-red irises with fiery-red ones of his own. "I am going to kill you." He said.

Then, out of what seemed like nothingness, The Black Sclera drew Dominick's sword. Before anyone could react, Dalton had a deep gash that ran from his left shoulder to the opposite hip. Dalton let out a groan as he felt back down to the earth.

 _When did he surpass me? No, I know when, of course. But how did the gap become this big?_ Dalton felt a lump in his throat as his vision darkened around the Black Sclera's cold eyes, staring at him in disappointment, like a failed experiment. _This can't be it...I still...have to..._


	27. An Unexpected Savior

_Chapter XXVII : An Unexpected Savior_

The Black Sclera and Shihebi both watched nonchalantly as Dalton fell all the way back down to the island. His body smashed against the ground with an unsettling crunch, and sand was launched up in a crater around him.

Martin, Ichimei, and Josh all rushed over to the landing site. Dalton was pretty messed up. The gash in his chest was at least a couple inches deep, and his clothes were now soaked with blood. He also probably had upwards of five or six broken bones from the impact. He had fallen over 200 meters. Martin rolled him over on his back.

"Oh, good, it's not that bad." He said.

 _"Not that bad?"_ Ichimei and Josh both exclaimed at once.

"Nothing that a Senzu can't fix." Martin responded. "You still have some, right?"

Josh nodded, then reached for his pocket, where his hand froze. "Oh, no…" He murmured. "I gave the bag to Dominick…"

Martin slammed the ground with his fist. "Damn! What are we going to do, then?!" He yelled at Josh.

"I'm sorry…" He replied. "I didn't know this would happen. I thought they would be better served to stay with him."

Martin shook his head. "I know, it's not your fault."

Dalton groaned and shifted in the crater. When his body moved, a stream of blood squirted out from the gash in his chest, and he winced in pain, all while still unconscious.

Suddenly, Ichimei put a hand over her mouth and started sobbing over Dalton's body. "Why is this happening?" She asked between sniffles.

Dalton then awoke to water droplets on his face. He still couldn't see much, but he knew it was Ichimei above him. He recognized her voice, repeatedly murmuring her boyfriend's name. He knew it was Ichimei, and he knew it wasn't his name that was being spoken, but he still found himself raising his hand up to her cheek.

"I will protect you...Sakumi…" He managed. "I won't let any harm come to you...even if I have to kill…" He trailed off.

Ichimei backed away from Dalton's body. Josh and Martin eyed her as she did so. "Ichimei...what did he say?" Josh asked. She shook her head. Her skin was losing color.

Martin reached over Dalton's body and grabbed her wrist before she could get too far away. "What did he say?" He demanded with a hard face.

As tears kept streaming down her face, she responded, "I have to save him...from himself...and from his brother."

* * *

"Aw...I didn't want to have to do that." The Black Sclera said. "I like that kid."

Shihebi studied The Black Sclera's appearance thoroughly. "You're a completely different person, aren't you?" He said. "Not just the manifestation of an emotion within him, but a completely different being. So then...what should I call you?"

"You're half right. I'm not simply a manifestation of emotion." He replied. "But I am the same being as the one you were just fighting, meaning I never existed independently of him, and I cannot exist without him. The fool is under the impression that he can get rid of me, but that will never happen. Not because I am stronger than he is, but because my existence is simply permanent as long as he exists."

"But you are still different people." Shihebi said after thinking for a couple of seconds. "You're also considerably stronger than he was."

"Why, thank you." The Black Sclera said. "Now, will you let me pass? I have somewhere to be."

"I will not let you pass."

"Why?"

"The fact that you're here right now means that Dominick Fiscalini is also alive, and I cannot allow that to be." Shihebi said.

"Oh, yeah." The Black Sclera said, rolling his eyes. "You have that 'sense of justice' or whatever you call it." He then stood quietly, weighing his options. "I guess I don't have a choice. I'll have to kill you." Without warning, he threw Dominick's sword in the air, caught it backwards, and threw it like a spear at Shihebi.

The Snake barely had time to dodge, and even still, the sword grazed his arm as he jumped to the side. Then, Shihebi lunged back at The Black Sclera. The Black Sclera did the same. The two exchanged blows faster than even Martin could see. Shihebi threw a right hook to The Black Sclera's face, which was parried to the side and returned with a knee to the abdomen. The Snake caught his knee with his left hand. Then, the Black Sclera pushed his right fist into Shihebi's chest, causing him to fall down a little. When he regained his balance, he rushed in a blur to the back of the Black Sclera, just as he had done to Dominick. Before the Black Sclera could turn around, he was already being attacked. The first few punches were able to land solid hits, but then the rest were blocked. Then Shihebi backed off. He put his wrists together and his fingers in opposite directions. He then yelled as a rapid-fire energy blast barrage descended onto the Black Sclera.

A cloud of dust formed around the two. Shihebi stood absolutely still as sweat dripped down his forehead. _I may have went too far...I didn't think that would exhaust me this much. I can keep going, though._ Then his stomach turned when he realized he could no longer sense the Black Sclera's presence. _There's no way that could have killed him._

Suddenly, a bright light blinded everyone on the island. The source of the light was on the ground, where Dominick's sword had landed. And holding it was none other than the Black Sclera.

"What the hell is this?" Shihebi called out to him, covering his eyes. "I thought you two were the same person, so how can you use powers that he can't?"

"He can, though. He just doesn't know how to." He shook he head and chuckled. "You see, I've spent a lot more time doing nothing. So I meditated, and found out that there is another being that exists in Dominick's conscious besides me. I don't know what his name is, or even _what_ he is, for that matter, but I know that he is somehow linked to this sword. So we talked, and I picked up little tricks over time. Now I can use this sword to a much greater potential than Dominick can." _And that being also gives off a strange familiarity._ The Black Sclera thought to himself. _His presence feels strikingly similar to that of Master Hangyaku._

Suddenly, The Black Sclera lunged up toward Shihebi. The Snake couldn't see anything, but he did feel the shift in his energy. It wasn't fast enough. He may have had plenty of energy left, but his senses were still feeling fatigued after that last attack. He felt The Black Sclera move to attack. He turned around and stuck his hand out to release a single-shot energy blast at point blank range, but before he could build up enough energy to do so, he felt the sword slice through the two fingers opposite his thumb. He let out a yelp in pain, but quickly told himself he didn't have time for that, and whipped his tail around to electrocute the Black Sclera. Immediately, the blinding light seemed to shrink back into the sword, revealing a paralyzed shadow within what seemed like a ball of electricity.

"It will be hard to escape from this one." Shihebi said, letting his guard down and holding his wounded hand in the other.

"You bastard…" The Black Sclera managed from inside the electrical prison.

Shihebi brought his tail closer to the wall of the prison and the electricity intensified. "This probably won't hold you for long, at this level, but it will steadily drain your energy until there is little left. This battle is over." Shihebi saw the Black Sclera's muscles relax inside the ball. _He's no longer resisting._

"Nah...I'm just fucking with you."

"What?!" Shihebi exclaimed as Dominick's sword pierced the upper wall of the electrical cage, then came slashing down. He felt a sharp pain in his tail, looked down at it, and saw that a good ten centimeters of it was gone. _The bastard cut off my tail._ He grimaced. In his pain, he didn't realize the mistake of taking his eyes off of his opponent. He felt both of the Black Sclera's feet dig into his chest, and he was suddenly plummeting back down onto the island.

When he hit the ground, he tried to get back up as fast as he could, but there was a sword already at his throat. "You were right about the battle being over." The Black Sclera said, smiling. "Sucks, though. I'm not as nice as Dominick. Wait, nevermind. He probably would have killed you, too."

"Stop!" A voice called from behind the Black Sclera. Ichimei was running toward the two of them, with Josh and Thirteen too stunned to realize what was happening, and Martin and Kibito Kai too focusing on taking care of Dalton.

"Oh, it's you." The Black Sclera said. "You stay out of this, girl." He brought the blade closer to Shihebi's throat.

Then she grabbed his arm, trying to pull him back. "No!" She screamed. "Dominick! I know you're still there! Come back!"

The Black Sclera threw his arm back, flinging Ichimei to the floor. "That's it. You had your chance. You've gotten in my way too many times, now." He scowled. It was usually Ichimei who calmed down Dominick's Black Sclera in the past. He took the sword away from Shihebi's throat and went toward Ichimei. She just looked at him with unwavering eyes. Unwavering eyes that were scared and sad, but needed to be brave. He brought the sword over his head, and swung it downward. But he stopped it. He didn't kill Ichimei. Or rather, he couldn't. "Leave, woman. Get out of here, before I really kill you." _What the hell am I doing..? Whatever. I'll just kill this Snake and be done with it._

 _You just faltered, didn't you?_

"What?" The Black Sclera asked. But no one had said anything. "Ah." He realized. _That was you, wasn't it?_

 _That fact that I can talk to you like this means that your power over me is wavering._ Dominick said inside of the Black Sclera's consciousness.

Shihebi, who had escaped as soon as the Black Sclera had taken the sword away, gestured to Ichimei. "You really should leave. You're weak. I have no reason to hurt you."

"That won't happen." She declared. "Because Dominick is hurting right now. And I love him."

` The Black Sclera winced at the sound of that last line, and put his hand to his forehead. _It's anger that gives you strength, right? Well it is attachments like these that give me strength. And after this, I think there be some hope for you. Sparing Ichimei had nothing to do with me. Just like anyone else, you are also influenced by your surroundings._

"SHUT UP!" The Black Sclera screamed, dropping to his knees and breathing heavily.

Ichimei ran over to his side again. "Dominick! You can do this! You have to be strong! Come back to me! I love you!" As she shouted her encouragements, her dam of tears broke again. "I don't want you to leave me again…"

Shihebi approached the Black Sclera, who was on his hands and knees. "Leave, woman. I will end this now." He said to Ichimei. She just looked up at him and ran between him and the Black Sclera. "Very well."

He raised his hand, and it began to glow with energy. Ichimei squeezed her eyes shut, fully expecting to feel the searing heat. She had already experienced death once. But she was not to experience it again today.

Dalton and Martin suddenly appeared in front of her and kicked Shihebi backward.

"Another surprise." Shihebi said. "I did not expect you to heal from that wound."

"Kibito Kai healed me." Dalton replied.

"No matter. You two being here only makes my task easier."

The two lunged at Shihebi. Dalton transformed into a Super Saiyan 4 while doing so. His body also erupted in flames and his eyes became a fiery red again. Martin attacked first. He sent in a left hook, which was all but brushed to the side. Then Dalton drew his flaming sword and swung it upward at Shihebi's abdomen. He dodged the slash with a backflip. As soon as he feet touched back on the ground, he began his counterattack. He dashed forward and twisted a fist into Martin's gut and Martin fell to his knees, coughing up blood. Then he turned around and sent a backward roundhouse kick toward Dalton's face. But it was blocked. Dalton held his sword inches away from his face with Shihebi's foot on the other side. He was struggling just to hold it in place. Then Shihebi suddenly let go and Dalton lunged at him. The two went into the air, and Dalton was swinging his sword like a mad man. Then he raised his sword over his head and shouted "Jigok-" The two were interrupted by a piercing scream coming from the Black Sclera. The fight stopped and they just looked down at the struggle between Dominick and the Black Sclera.

 _It's over for you._ Dominick said.

 _I won't relinquish my control over to you!_ The Black Sclera responded.

 _Stop this. You're only causing the both of us more harm._

 _I WILL NEVER!_

 _…_

 _I...absolutely...won't...give...up…_

Suddenly, Dominick's sclera returned to their normal white color, his hair returned to its shiny gold, and his fur returned back to red. But he wasn't calming down. He was still sweating, and now he was coughing and gagging like he couldn't breathe. Then the coughing stopped, but the breathing did not start. Dominick's face turned sickly shade of blue and he began punching his own stomach, trying to vomit. With one last punch in the gut, whatever he was trying to throw up cleared his throat, and he was forced to open his jaw farther than he thought it could ever go. From in his mouth came some sort of purple substance of which the state of matter was unclear. When he finally heaved the whole thing out, it took the shape of a small cloud with a devil's tail protruding out of its side. Dominick rolled over on his back, finally able to breathe. Everyone watched speechlessly as the cloud floating up to the air and dissipated. The Black Sclera was no longer in Dominick's body; he could feel it. But he also knew it wasn't dead. It got what wanted: it never gave up control to the very end.


	28. Some Sort of Reconciling

_Chapter XXVIII : Some Sort of Reconciling_

Ichimei cradled Dominick's head in her lap. "I'm so glad you're back."

"You saved me." He said. "Thank you."

"...I love you so much."

He smiled. "I know. I love you too." He tried to get up, but he couldn't. "I'm so tired." He murmured.

"Just rest." She said.

"Ah...I can't. I have to finish this fight." He felt around at his pocket. "Hey...there are some Senzus in my pocket...I think. Would you get them out for me?"

"Uh...yeah." She reached inside of his pocket and pulled out the little brown bag.

Dominick meekly reached for the bag. "Thanks." He said.

"Uh - no." She said curtly. "Let me give it to you."

"I'm fine, I can do it myself."

"Oh, shut up. Open you mouth."

"I can't fight you." He said.

She put the Senzu in his mouth and held his head slightly up as he chewed and swallowed.

"You've done this before, remember? Before we were dating. You always come to my side. You're too good to me." Dominick said. Then his emotions began to overflow. He laid his forearm over his eyes and started crying. "I've caused you so much pain. I'm so sorry, Ichimei."

"Don't cry." She said, touching her forehead to his. "Don't cry."

"Okay, that's enough." Shihebi called from above. "I don't buy any of this 'love'."

Dominick wiped the tears from his face and got up. "Are you ready to go again, Shihebi?"

"I'm ready to kill you. I'm just about done with you acting like your morals exceed mine." Shihebi responded. "To be honest, I hate you. Not as a fighter, but from one person to another, I hate you."

"I don't hate _you_ , Shihebi." Dominick said. "I may feel hate toward you in the moment, but I don't hate you. I realize this now. Maybe it's because of the absence of the Black Sclera in my body, but I am able to clearly discern my emotions, now."

Ichimei looked up at him. "Wait, you mean…"

Dominick smiled back down at her. "Yeah. It's gone."

She looked back down and smiled to herself.

"Now, Ichimei, I'm going to finish what I've started. It feels like the pieces of this puzzle are finally coming together. I've learned more about the Black Sclera and about my father."

"Your father?"

"Yeah. When the Black Sclera took over my body, I thought I was dead. He definitely plunged this sword into my heart." Dominick explained. "But then I woke up somewhere else. And I heard this voice - no, two voices. First it was a man's voice, and then it was yours. I'm sure...the first voice belonged to my dad. It sounded so familiar."

"I'm happy for you." She said. "Now go finish this fight for me, okay?"

"I was already going to do that."

She nodded, then ran back to Kibito Kai and Thirteen.

Dominick turned around and looked at Shihebi. "You ready?"

"Of course." Shihebi replied. "But whatever that form was earlier, you shouldn't have come out of it." He showed Dominick his hand. "Look at this. You took off two of my fingers and a good part of my tail. It's no matter. I've lost a lot of power, so the fight will likely still be close."

"Let's go, then." Dominick said. "Don't think I'll go easy on you because of a couple of injuries."

"I thought not."

Dominick lunged at Shihebi, coming with a straightforward attack. Shihebi caught the fist in his own palm, pulled it down, dragging Dominick's body with it, and then drove his knee into his opponent's chin. Dominick planted his free hand on the ground and did a front somersault, bring the back of his legs down on Shihebi's head. Shihebi took his free arm and stopped both of Dominick's feet with his forearm. From the hand that was grasping Dominick's fist, a yellow light began to peer from the cracks behind their hands. Dominick realized what was happening. Shihebi was going to blow his hand off with an energy blast. He blasted the ground with his other hand and was propelled up into the sky. He yanked his feet back over his head and tried to drive his knee into Shihebi's elbow, breaking his arm, but Shihebi blocked the attack while still holding on. He finally let go when Dominick kicked him in the chest with his other leg. Once they separated, the energy dissipated from Shihebi's hand and the two stood still for a while. Sweat was dripping from both of their foreheads now.

"No more games!" Shihebi yelled. "I'm coming at you with all I have!" The black aura around him shot out in all directions as his muscles tensed and bulged. He shot at Dominick with speed faster than anything he had used before. He swung his fist and barely missed the tip of Dominick's nose as he flipped backwards. The Snake took his other hand and shot Dominick in the back with an energy blast, causing him to fall to the ground. Dominick looked up and Shihebi was already on top of him, with his foot pressed on his chest. He pressed Dominick into the ground trying to crush his lungs.

Dominick laughed as he coughed blood onto Shihebi's foot. He grabbed it and pulled it further into his chest. "Is this the best you have?" Her sneered.

Shihebi stepped off of Dominick's chest and grabbed his head. "I'm nowhere near being done with you."

"What are you going to do?" Dominick mocked.

Shihebi scanned the area and found a large cliff in the distance. "Perfect." He told himself. With Dominick's head still gripped in his hand, he took off toward the cliff, dragging him behind. Dominick was not fighting back at all. _What is he playing at? It doesn't matter. I'll kill him before he has the chance to enact whatever he's planning._ Shihebi smashed Dominick's head into the cliff and scraped it along parallel to the floor. It made a solid rivet in the side of the cliff. He then turned around and went the opposite way, only this time shoving Dominick's head ever further in. Behind him, the cliff began to collapse. After the second round, Shihebi pulled his head up to face him. Covered in blood and scrapes, Dominick was still smirking. "Don't smile at me, you freak!" Shihebi shouted. He threw Dominick into the floor and hopped up the crumbled cliff. "It's time to end this!" He put both hands out in front of him and began a rapid-fire assault of short energy blasts at Dominick, whose head was lodged in the ground. Upon impact, a huge dust cloud billowed up and debris flew hundreds of meters. As he continued, his muscles tensed even further and veins pulsed in his skin, until he suddenly stopped and dropped to one knee, panting and sweating.

"You've gotten slower." Dominick was standing behind Shihebi.

Hiding his surprise, he scoffed. "Impossible. Not at this point. You must have gotten faster."

"Let's stop this." Dominick said. "You're exhausted; the fight is over." He placed a hand on Shihebi shoulder, an action to which the Snake recoiled in a primal rage.

"Don't touch me!" He growled. "I'll kill you."

Dominick frowned. "Shihebi...you've changed. You're becoming more...like an animal."

"YOU HAVE NO ROOM TO TALK!" The Snake billowed as the blackness surrounding him exploded and then retracted into a perfect sphere with him in the center. His scleras now glowed a pale shade of yellow and his brow was stuck in a knot of rage. He then let out a loud, extended yell as he extended his arms out in either direction, his fingers just barely piercing the sphere.

"What...the hell is happening?" Dominick murmured to himself.

Upon piercing the sphere, it seemed to start bubbling, as if what was inside was boiling. Then, the blackness extended in all directions, the bubbles spiking out first, and the the rest of it following, ensnaring everything in pure, dark, emotional energy. It destroyed everything in its path. But when the black reached Dominick, he covered his eyes, preparing to taking the full force of the energy. However, time passed and he felt nothing but a comfortable, familiar warmth. He opened his eyes to see nothing but white, seeming to extend forever.

 _It has gotten much brighter, hasn't it?_ A voice said.

"Where am I?" Dominick asked.

 _This is our world, Dominick. Made by you and me together. You used to not be able to see anything in here, but now…_

Dominick turned around to see a broken wooden cross, sitting in the middle of the blank whiteness. "So...this is the same place I've always been. I figured there would be no one left, now that the Black Sclera is gone. You're that one black silhouette I talked to a couple of days ago, aren't you?"

 _Yes._

"Where are you?"

 _I am everywhere. Thanks to that creature's absence, I was finally able to crack my protective shell and give light to your conscious. I have become the light you see now._

"I didn't die, did I?" Dominick asked.

 _No. You subconsciously put up a barrier around you after that attack, using my power._

"Your power? Who exactly are you?"

 _You must figure that out for yourself. I may not tell you my name without your soul's permission. And you have yet to make that key connection…_ the voice faded away.

Dominick reached out at the nothingness in front of him, and felt something. Suddenly, the white around him began to crumble away, revealing the familiar night sky in its place. What he felt was Shihebi's body against the rubble from the cliff. Dominick was gripping his sword with his left hand. The glowing white blade was plunged into Shihebi's chest. _When did I-_ He thought to himself.

Shihebi was oozing blood from more places than he had wounds. His hands were purple and swollen, and blood was flowing steadily from where his fingers were cut. He was bleeding internally. He probably bursted many blood vessels with that last attack. He looked up at the moon with glazed, bloodshot eyes that were starting to leak blood from the cornea.

Dominick quickly pulled the sword from Shihebi's body. The Snake did not wince. He then slowly turned his eyes from the moon to Dominick. "I...got...carried away." He stammered in a whisper. "That's...what happens...when I stay in that form...too long...my emotions...run wild...and at a certain point...I lose control of them...and my innermost rage bests me…"

"Don't talk, Shihebi." Dominick said. "I'll get you a Senzu right now." He reached in his pocket.

"Stop…" The Snake whispered. "This is...my punishment...for abusing my power...and using it...for my selfishness." He coughed. "I think...I was jealous...of you...who never experienced my pain...but was able to achieve power even greater...than mine." The was a pause that seemed to last forever. "Why...don't you use your power...to protect...those who don't have it? Do you not...see that...as an obligation? You...have no idea...what people like me went through..!" He strained through the last part. "Look at me...I don't even...have the strength...to lift my arm." Tears mixed with blood welled in his eyes. "It hurts...I won't be able...to protect anyone...from suffering my fate...Detombe is still out there..! Why does it...have to end this way..? It weighs so heavily...on my conscious…"

Dominick, who had been silently listening to Shihebi this whole time, made a decision in his mind. "Shihebi. I know that one day, I will have the power to protect those that you are talking about. Without being a God of Destruction. With my own power. I'll learn how to travel through Universes on my own. I'll be able to sense miniscule powers from all the way across the Universe. One day, I promise, I will complete your goals for you, but I will do it peacefully."

Shihebi managed a weak smile. "I...apologize for...directing my rage at you...it seems...you are a good man...although...I don't think...your idea of peacefulness...will work..."

"You may have convinced me to make this decision, Shihebi. Maybe one day, I'll find a way to bring you back to life, as well."

Shihebi forced a chuckle that turned into the coughing of blood. "I...have a place in mind...of where I want to die." He said. "It's in the headquarters...of the Organization...can I take us there?"

Dominick nodded.

"It takes...no energy to travel...so I can do...at least this much." He weakly tapped the ground with his thumb and pinky at the same time, and a black image of an eye appeared on the ground, then expanded wide enough to encompass the both of them. Then, the floor opened up beneath them and they fell into a void; one that display no color and every color at once. At some point, the falling slowed, then stopped. It had felt like an hour, but in reality, it had only been a couple of seconds. A hole then opened up in the void, exposing a glowing glass floor floating in an empty black space.

Dominick picked up Shihebi and stepped onto the glass. As he turned in a full circle as he walked, he noted that there were twelve bright light sources, each about the size of a blueberry, scattered about the blackness. "Those lights are our Universes, aren't they?"

Shihebi weakly nodded. Then he said, "Just head… for that broken building…"

Dominick looked at what Shihebi was looking at, and felt the lives and deaths of all of the Angels and Gods of Destruction emanating from the building, including Mesui, Axita, and Deis. "I can feel all of them…" Dominick whispered. "I can feel...their emotions."

Shihebi smiled. "You would have been...a prime candidate...for a God of Destruction...ironic…"

Dominick continued to carry Shihebi into the ruins of the building as the Snake guided him with an increasingly shaky voice. Eventually, they came upon what looked like a lounge room.

The Snake chuckled. "It's still in one piece…" He said, looking at a leather couch. "Can you set me down...on the couch?" He asked Dominick. "This is where...Axita and I would rest...after training...the only place...I ever felt...truly...happy. I think...deep down...I didn't want...my days...as a God of Destruction...to end."

Dominick set Shihebi down on the couch, and the Snake breathed a sigh of relief as he let himself sink into his comfort and exhaustion. "I wonder...if I can...see him again…" He smiled sadly at the thought of it. "Being here again...after so long...makes me want to...forget...everything. It makes me feel...that I've made...peace." His eyes fluttered shut as he sank further into the salvation from his pain. "Hey...isn't it weird...how just one person…" He spoke with his eyes closed now. "...can make you...forget...forget….where...who...am I? I don't...want...to...know...anymore…."

His sleep finally engulfed him as Dominick felt his life join the others bound to this building. As Shihebi's presence dispersed and mixed in with the others, Dominick was able to feel Shihebi's bliss as he subconsciously stripped himself of his memories before he died. ...Bliss.


	29. A Failed Reconciling

_Chapter XXIX: A Failed Reconciling_

Dominick left Shihebi's body on the leather couch. The Snake's memories left him and were transferred into the debris. Dominick felt them all. He saw Shihebi being enslaved as a child, he saw Courione, he saw Detombe, and he saw Axita and Shihebi laughing together on that couch. He felt Shihebi's pain when killing his best friend. He saw the two of them. Happy. He started crying, and he didn't know why, but he couldn't stop himself. The memories were flooding in too fast, and the emotions were too much.

After he was able to calm himself down, he walked outside of the building and took another look around there was really nothing except the glass he was on and the Universes in the distance. For some reason, he wanted to change that. He wanted to build more. He imagined the future, and what he would do here. He constructed an entire floating city in his mind, directly below the glass. It would be a safe haven for those in danger, with him on top of the glass watching over everyone. He smiled at the thought. Maybe it would be better to make a representative republic...with a delegation system, where each Universe would get a say…

Dominick shook himself out of his thoughts. As his adrenaline was finally wearing off, the scrapes on his face began to sting more, and his muscles began to weaken. He began to stagger. _I have to get back...I wonder...which one of those dots out there...is my Universe…_ "Maybe coming here wasn't such a good idea…" He chuckled. "Damn...I'm really dizzy…" He glass below him suddenly seemed as if it was rolling like the waves in the ocean. His eyes couldn't keep themselves open any longer. His knees buckled and he fell to the floor. Only after he was on the ground did his hair shorten and return back to it's normal brown color, and red fur retracted back into his body. He had been in Super Saiyan 5 form this whole time. He must have forgotten at some point.

* * *

Dominick woke up in his room. It was night, and he couldn't see anything. His whole body was aching. He felt weak. It took him a little bit before he realized where he actually was. "Why...am I back?" He murmured to himself. He tried to sit up. He succeeded in doing so, but struggled the whole way.

"Dominick, you're awake." A familiar voice said.

 _Wait, that voice-_ His mom flicked his bedroom lights on. She was standing in the doorway with Ichimei behind her. "Mom...Ichimei…" He started. "Wait, how did I get back? Why are you here-"

"I felt your power level disappear." Jeannie said. "That was three days ago. You were brought here in Kibito Kai's arms this morning, unconscious."

"We had no idea where you went." Ichimei sniffed. "After you went to fight with Shihebi, we saw him grab you by the head and drag you off in the distance, and we didn't see you anymore, and then we saw that black explosion… and then they said your power level disappeared along with Shihebi...and then…I was so scared that you were…" She buried her face in her hands.

Jeannie crossed her arms. "So you went and got yourself involved with the Divine...Dominick, that's a steep path. You should be careful."

"Since when were you so knowledgeable on things like this?" Dominick asked, rather sincerely.

"Since I was a kid." She replied. "My parents...knew an Angel from the Organization. It was our Angel, from Universe Seven, actually. Enryu Kenshin was his name. He visited our home quite often. But the Organization was never as clean as it was made out to be. There was corruption, and my parents got caught up in it after I moved out. My father's brother, who had made a name for himself among the Angels through past heroic deeds...got his hands on the Power of Divinity, given to him by Enryu. He was jealous, and demanded he receive the same. He was desperate, led on by Enryu. He actually gave his soul to Enryu in order to obtain this Divinity. He proceeded to kill his brother out of spite. His conscience had been long eroded by the Angel's seductive promises. Enryu returned to my old house and killed both of my parents." She shook her head. "Once you get involved...it's very hard to get out. But you're really strong, so I trust you."

"Mom...the Gods and Angels are all dead."

Her eyes widened. "Are you being serious?"

Dominick nodded. "I killed the last God of Destruction three days ago."

"Well, it's not that big of a deal, I guess." She said. "According to my parents, there were only a couple that actually did anything. The rest were just more like figureheads. Those few, though, I guess were loved by the others, and even the mortals who knew their names. Deis and Shihebi."

Dominick had already known in his heart that it was them, but his stomach still twisted a little bit when he heard their names. Ichimei knew better than to say anything as well.

Then, his mom ran to his bedside and embraced him. "I'm so glad you're okay."

He wrapped his arms around her as she did to him. "You've been so strong, both of you. Thank you so much."

"The mother part of me wants to tell you not to fight ever again...but with your strength, I know it's impossible." She said. "So just be careful for me, okay?"

"I will."

Jeannie stepped back. "I'll leave you two alone, now." She said as she exited the room around Ichimei.

Ichimei shut the door behind Jeannie. "Are you okay? Does it feel different without your Black Sclera?"

Dominick nodded. "I feel...weaker, somehow. Like I'm missing a part of myself. I'm hoping it's just because he's been a part of me for so long, but I don't really know."

She caressed his cheek. "I'm so glad you're back."

He sat silently for a couple of seconds, then said, "Ichimei, something's bothering me about what my mom said earlier."

She cocked her head, squatted down, and looked up at him. "What about it?" She asked.

"She said that Enryu killed her parents after she moved out." Dominick said. "But she's not even 50 years old yet. So she would have moved out roughly 30 years ago. But the thing is, Deis and Shihebi left the Organization 50 years ago."

"Maybe they hadn't been tracked down yet…" Ichimei suggested. "Mesui said that the bodies turned up over the course of the 50 years, right?"

"He didn't specify." Dominick replied. "When you felt my power disappear, it was probably when I left with Shihebi to the Center of the Omniverse, the Headquarters of the Organization. I guess when Angels and Gods die, their souls return to that site, and I could sense them. I was also able to pick up the general time frame of when the souls returned relative to each other. There were ten souls that all died within 5 years of each other. Three more had died fifty years later, and then Shihebi."

"That's really strange."

Then, Dominick seemed to freeze. "Wait...but there was one...sometime in the middle...about 25 to 30 years ago. It felt...different than the others, too."

"How were you able to tell how long ago these deaths were?" Ichimei asked.

"I don't really know." He responded. "They were almost like windows into the past."

"How was that other one different?"

"I don't really know how to explain that one either. It just felt...older. It felt isolated from the others. Like it was excluded, as if it's soul wasn't supposed to return there, but ended up there out of nostalgia...I don't know."

Ichimei smiled at him. "Try not to worry about it too much." She said, gently rubbing his arm. "It's all in the past."

"I wonder if Shihebi would have known him…" Dominick trailed off.

"You seem to be all friendly with Shihebi, now, don't you?" Dalton stood in the doorway exactly where his mother stood before him. "I saw you carrying him princess-style as you walked into that portal."

"Glad to see you too, Dalton." Dominick said sarcastically. "He was dying, anyway. As a fighter, I didn't have it in me to deny him of his last request. He had submitted; he was no longer a threat."

"I also saw you say something to him that gave him quite a grin, too." Dalton claimed. Dominick knew what he was talking about right away, but elected not to tell him what he had said, and only averted his eyes. "Ichimei, can you leave us alone for a little?" Dalton asked in the most gentle tone he could manage.

She nodded, understanding the request completely, and promptly left the room.

As soon as the door closed behind her, Dalton immediately walked up and grabbed Dominick by the shirt. "How did you achieve that form? Tell me now." He demanded.

"What are you talking about? You have to know as well as I do that I have no idea. I probably couldn't do right now if I tried." Dominick said defensively.

Dalton gave an irritated smile and shook his head. "Oh, please." He sneered. "It was that black sclera thing, wasn't it? He gave you the power, didn't he? Tell me!" He tightened his grip. His eyes were flaming.

"What's with you?" Dominick said, pushing him away. "I've been trying to get rid of that thing for my entire life."

"You can keep telling yourself that, but I know the truth. You've been feeding off of it. Constantly thirsting for more power. It's the only reason you were able to keep up with me all this time. Keeping it subdued this whole time, acting as a parasite to the being living inside of you. And it's all because you couldn't get enough of that taste of power you felt when you used it to kill our father."

Dominick punched him in the face after that last comment, sending him flying head first into the wall of his bedroom. His body was lodged in the wall down to his elbows. "Don't _ever_ say that again. Do you hear me?"

Dalton broke another portion of the wall while freeing himself. He glared up at his brother, and his brother back at him. His eyes might as well have literally been on fire at this point. Dominick lost the glare after a couple of seconds. Those eyes weren't like Dalton. Something was seriously wrong.

Ichimei and Jeannie busted into the room after hearing a crash, but as they saw the two brothers standing off like this, they decided to remain quiet. Dominick and Dalton simultaneously flicked their heads over to the women as if being brought back from a trance.

Dalton then stood up and walked out of the room pushing his way past Ichimei and his mother. His eyes seemed to singe their skin as he passed them.

Both women chose not go after Dalton, and he left the house without a word to either of them. They both walked over to Dominick. "What happened?" Jeannie demanded.

Dominick sat back down on his back and covered his eyes with his palm, resting his elbow on his knee. "I don't want to talk about it right now."

"That won't fly with me." She replied. "Your brother was just inside your bedroom wall. I want an explanation."

"Just leave me alone with my thoughts for now." He said. "I'll talk it out with him eventually." Dominick turned to his window opposite from his door, then looked back down. He then put two fingers to head forehead, and disappeared from his room, leaving Ichimei and Jeannie with only guesses as to what was on his mind.

* * *

Dalton found himself flying aimlessly at night. Right, it was still night. He couldn't think of anywhere to go except for that overlook by Sakumi's school. It was his school too. He had forgotten. He hadn't been in so long, but it now felt like he could never return. He didn't belong in this world. That's what it was. It had to be that.

Sakumi was sleeping on the bench at the edge of the overlook. For some reason, Dalton realized that he had come in hopes that she was here. Her presence calmed him a little bit. Her legs were folded so that a third of the bench was vacant. He carefully tried to sit down without waking her up, but she was awake before he made contact with the bench. "I knew you would come tonight." She said.

Dalton didn't question her. He simply sat down in the empty space. She shift around to sit up. He couldn't bring himself to look straight at her, so she took the liberty of making it so he had to. She stood up in front of him and gently held his cheeks in place. "Look at me." She said. "I want your eyes to pierce my skin. They look...especially beautiful tonight."

Dalton darted his eyes. "They may look that way, but they hold a darkness I don't want to expose you too."

"What if I want to be exposed to it?" She asked. "What if I want to be exposed to all of you?"

"It's dangerous." Dalton responded.

"I'm not afraid." She said, letting go of his face and doing a little graceful twirl in front of him. "I'm feeling especially brave tonight." She danced too close to the edge for Dalton's comfort. He stood up, and when he did, she turned around and kissed him. When she pulled back, he sat back down. She sat down next to him, resting her head on his chest. "Let's run away." She said.

Dalton didn't know what to do. "Sakumi...I swore to myself that I would protect you. I may love you like I do...but I must never be with you. That would put you in immediate danger."

"I told you I'm not scared." She said. "I'll face any danger if it means being with you. I'm stronger than I look."

"It is still a promise I made to myself."

"Well, there's a difference between putting me in danger and not protecting me."

Dalton looked up, trying to avoid her gaze.

"If you want to protect me, my prince," she said as she lifted her head and ran a finger down his chest, "I guess you'll just have to become strong enough to do it while having me by your side."

Dalton's heart jumped at that last part. To protect her. He knew now that he loved her. And now he knew he needed the power to be with her. And he knew...in order to do that, he would have be able to defeat Dominick. He would do anything to achieve that, now. Then he came to a decision: one that finally ripped a torn tapestry in two.


	30. Gratitude

_Chapter XXX : Gratitude_

Two weeks passed before Dominick eventually returned home. Dominick had spent the time looking for the Black Sclera. It was still alive, and he knew it well. He could always sense it's presence, but could never get a precise location. The events concerning Shihebi and Deis were forgotten quickly, in turn wiping away any fleeting feeling of a victory. Instead, a tense feeling hung in the air for those weeks, not every really leaving any room for real comfort. Everyone was still on their toes.

A very thin marine layer covered the town that Dominick lived in, making the sky just a shade darker than pure white. A few patches of darker gray loomed in the distance. It was a fairly big town, with its share on several-story buildings. The larger buildings shrunk into gas stations and tattoo parlors on the outskirts, and then there was a desert that eventually turned into a beach. Miles east off of that beach was the island where Dominick and Shihebi fought. The residential areas were on the other side of the buildings, opposite to the desert. They were well kept, but some areas were dense with trees and leaves covered many streets.

Directly after the events with Shihebi, Rika and Martin had sought out the Dragon Balls in order to revive Gogito. They succeeded in finding all seven in a short amount of time with the help of Capsule Corp technology. Martin was the only person that Dominick had contact with during the two weeks he was gone, so he also knew about the fight he'd had with Dalton. No one knew where Dalton was. Their guess was that he was at the lookout. No one went to check. They figured he would show up when he was ready.

Gogito was unable to be brought back to life. It wasn't clear why, but Martin speculated it was because the combination of him being four people and the fact that two of them were from a different timeline was probably too much for Shenron to handle. When they made the wish, Shenron said that no such person existed, and refused to say more.

Dominick spent a lot of time at Capsule Corp with Martin and Rika. Capsule Corp was in West City, even further inland than the town Dominick lived in. On his last day before returning home, he and Martin made plans for a funeral for Gogito.

"We don't have his body. It actually dissipated shortly after he died." Martin said.

"It should be fine." Dominick replied. "We're just showing our respects."

"So, on Saturday? The 2nd?"

"Saturday, October 2nd." Dominick confirmed. "Five days from now."

"I'll see you then." Martin replied. "So you're finally going home now? I'm sure Ichimei has missed you."

"I'll explain everything once I get there."

"She'll still be mad."

"I know." Dominick laughed. "To be honest, I'm terrified."

"You'll be fine. She loves you."

Dominick began walking out the front door. It was a long walk. The house was huge. Everything was top notch; up to date. Dominick had just triggered the automatic glass door when he turned around. "Hey, wait." He said. The sliding glass door shut behind him. "I heard you say something about Rika being your fiance."

Martin paused for a little, thinking about what to say. "I was going to tell everyone soon." He finally said.

"When is the wedding?"

"At the end of December, near Christmas." He said.

"Well, congratulations." Dominick replied, turning around once more. The door shut behind him again, but this time he was outside. Then his feet left the ground, and he finally went home.

* * *

"Hey, Ichimei…" Dominick called when he entered his home. It was still pretty early in the morning, and Ichimei didn't have a class that day until the afternoon. No one answered, but after a few seconds, she popped out of the hallway in her pajamas, rubbing her eyes.

"Hey…" She said as she walked up to him and hugged him, sinking her head into his chest.

"I missed you."

"Me too. I'm glad you're back."

"Don't worry about me. I was fine." Dominick added.

"Yeah, I knew. I know when you're not fine."

He ran his fingers through her hair. It was so soft and pretty, even when she had bed head. She was so pretty. He wanted to marry her. "Ichimei…" She hugged her tighter and buried his face in her hair. _Marry me._ He decided to wait. "We're having a funeral for Gramps in Saturday. Do you want to come?"

She nodded. "Sure." Her voice was muffled in Dominick's gray shirt.

"And also…" Dominick started. "I'm searching for the Black Sclera. I know he's out there."

"Why do you have to find him?" She asked. "Can't we just move on?"

"Dalton has gotten involved now." Dominick said. "I don't think I'll be able to resolve my problems with him until I finish the Black Sclera for good. And...he messed with my family. I have to find him."

"...I understand, I guess." She said.

"I'll end it, I promise." He claimed. "Once he's dead, we won't have to worry about anything. And then we can…" _We can get married._ That thought was getting stronger in his head now.

* * *

It was Saturday. The other five days passed slowly. And there was still no word from Dalton. Martin and Dominick had decided to hold the funeral at the lookout. It wouldn't be much of a funeral; just more of a moment of silence. They were just to pay their respects, not to dwell on his death and stay stuck in one time. Martin had told Dende what the plan was, and he agreed to spread the word. If Dalton didn't know, it would mean that not even Dende was in contact with him, which would be extremely worrisome.

Dominick flew Ichimei up to the lookout. The feeling of her soft hands on the back of his neck never seemed to fail to make his heart leap out of his chest. He could never get enough.

Once they reached the lookout, Martin was already there. So were Kibito and Android Thirteen. They were last, like usual. Except for one person. They weren't, in fact, destined to be the last that day. From inside the lookout came Dende, followed by Dalton. Dalton's eyes still glowed a shade of red and refused to make contact with anyone else's. It also seemed like he hadn't slept in many days. Dende smiled at everyone as he arrived. He also looked tired. Dominick stared at Dalton as he got closer, trying to discern what exactly was different about his brother, besides his eyes. Something else about his presence gave an increasingly tense feeling off. Then they finally made eye contact. The sheer amount of hate that radiated off of Dalton was more than both Deis and Shihebi combined had to offer. Dalton looked like he could cry at any moment, but at the same time it looked like he was too angry to do so. The bags under his eyes had a reddish tint. Dominick had thought he would be able to talk the situation out with his brother, but he now realized that it wouldn't be a possibility. He would probably have to end up solving it with his fists. The Black Sclera would have to die as well.

Martin watched on in concern as the two stared at each other. The tension seemed to physically make the air denser around them. The two seemed to put him in a trance, unable to do anything to come between them. The uncomfortable air hung around everyone else, too.

Finally, Martin was able to break the silence. "Well...let's get this thing started." He said. "I was thinking everyone could just take a seat and sit quietly...you can think about whatever you want; you could even have one last conversation with him in your mind. Whatever you think will put him to rest." Everyone nodded in agreement. Even Dalton, though reluctantly.

Dominick closed his eyes and took himself back through the last four years. All they had really done was train. Back when they were fighting Buu, they had only just met Gogito, so all of the memorable times came from training. Gogito had been a father figure for the three boys, since Jason had died when Dominick and Dalton were not even five years old, and Martin's father lived overseas. Not only did he build them as fighters, but as people as well. He was probably the sole reason Dominick and Dalton hadn't kill one another already. They tended to get out of control during their fights. Dalton went Dragon Mode, and injured Dominick pretty badly in the process. They gave Dominick a Senzu, and his wounds were healed, but he was still exhausted. He eventually woke up in the dark, not really sure where he was. The only thing he knew at the moment was that Gogito was there, sitting at the foot of his bed, asleep. That presence was calming in a way he hadn't experienced in years. It was nostalgic. He then fell back asleep.

He then opened his eyes and realized that everyone's had were already open. The way they were all staring at him, he knew they had been done for a while.

"I don't think we have anything else to do here, so I'm going to head out." Martin said.

"Already?" Thirteen asked. "Is it alright if I come with you?"

"Yeah, of course. It's been awhile since you've come over." Martin responded. The two of them took off and disappeared below the clouds.

Dominick walked over to Dalton to have a little talk. "Dalton." He started.

"It's alright." Dalton said. "I'm not mad anymore. I've made my decision, so I'm resolved." Dominick looked slightly surprised. Dalton smiled up at him, but it was a dangerous smile. His eyes still were off-colored. Dominick didn't buy it, but he pretended to accept it.

"Let's go, Ichimei." The two of them left without much of a good-bye.

As flew back to their house, Dominick tried to stop thinking about his brother. He did this by talking to Gogito. _Gramps, I did it, but I don't feel like it was a victory. I feel like I've created more problems than I solved. Dalton is acting weird, my Black Sclera is on the loose somewhere, and now there's a new entity inside of me that I know even less about. I think he has something to do with my sword, but how am I to know whether or not he's on my side? I just don't know what to do. I killed Shihebi, so why do I feel like this? This isn't how it was supposed to be, this isn't-_ Dominick shook himself out of his thoughts. "Ichimei…" He started. She caressed his cheeks from on his back. "I love you…" She smiled and put her head down on the nape of his neck. Maybe it wasn't all bad.

* * *

"I finally found you, Sir." The Black Sclera dropped to one knee in an alley on the outskirts West City before a man in a black hoodless cloak.

"I told you not to call me 'sir'. It's just Hangyaku." The man said. He had a young but weathered face with thin and sharpened eyes. He had dark, short and spiky hair, all slicked back except for a couple strands on the right side of his face that hung down just above his eye. Although his cloak had no hood, it did have a high-rising collar that extended up to his ears. He wore a black leather strap across his chest that held a golden trident-like triple-bladed sword-each bladed extended out from the hilt about ten degrees offset from the other. "So, tell me what you're doing outside the kid's body."

"He kicked me out. I don't know how." The Black Sclera responded.

"You need to find a way back into his body. We need the both of your powers."

"Is mine alone not enough?" The Black Sclera asked. "I have been feeding off of him for fourteen years now."

"You severely underestimate the power of our Great Father." Hangyaku explained. "Your potential is magnified several-fold when you two are one, and that is a necessity. Don't forget: I created you for this purpose alone."

The Black Sclera winced at that. "Yes. I will find a way to rejoin our bodies." He said.

"I have faith you won't disappoint me...Hotokira."

The Black Sclera's eyes widened. "Is that..?"

"Yes, a name I am giving you now. Your importance is greatly increasing, so I will need to be able to identify you easily."

"...Thank you." Hotokira said after a bout of hesitation.

Hangyaku smiled down at his creation. "We can't stop now. Let's make killing that brat's father worth the trouble."


	31. Disappearance

_Chapter XXXI : Disappearance_

It was January 14, Dalton's birthday. He turned seventeen years old. But no one had seen him that day. Dominick and Martin assumed he was up at the lookout. Dende assumed he was with Dominick, training. But he wasn't at either place. The last time Dominick or Martin had seen Dalton was at Gogito's funeral. Upon talking to Dende, they found out he had told him a week prior that he was going to go talk to his mother. She hadn't seen him either.

He hadn't even shown up to the wedding, which took place a couple of days after Christmas. Android Thirteen was the best man, but after the wedding, he sort of disappeared as well. He'd really just been doing his own thing for the past four years, so it was nothing out of the ordinary. What really bothered Dominick was the "decision" that Dalton had said he made at the funeral. He gave no explanation as to what it was, or what it meant. With more and more concern each day, Dominick and Martin began to search for him, but with no luck. His power level seemed to be completely concealed.

Rika said that her mom hadn't seen Sakumi in a week, either. About the same time that Dalton disappeared. Martin knew they were close, and Rika knew how depressed Sakumi was. He started to suspect that they may have run away together. Dominick didn't buy it.

Dominick's feelings for Ichimei had only grown stronger since Shihebi's death. It was only a matter of time before he asked her to marry him, but he wanted to wait a little longer as they had only been living together for a couple of months. It also didn't help that he was terrified to ask the big question.

Both he and Ichimei went to Jeannie's house on Dalton's birthday. When they got there, she looked like she had been crying.

"Mom, we'll find him." Dominick assured her.

"Dominick," she started, "did you know you're the only person in my whole family that I've heard from in the past three months? Ever since Dalton left your house that one night, I haven't heard a word."

"Dalton is going through a rough time right now."

"But he always used to visit me, even more than you did." She proclaimed. "Nothing stopped him from doing that. Something's happened to him. I know it."

"There's speculation that he ran away to be with Rika's sister." Dominick explained. "Although my guess is that he's training by himself somewhere."

Jeannie dropped her head into her hands. "I lost contact with my husband, and now this?"

"We know he's alive, at least." Dominick told her. "We would have heard from Kibito Kai if he turned up in Otherworld. He probably just doesn't want to be found right now."

His mom looked up at him. "You'll still look for him, right?"

"Of course." Dominick said. "I need to smack to sense into him."

* * *

Dominick decided to search inland this time around. Ichimei had volunteered to spend the day at Jeannie's house to take care of her, so he figured he would just use the day to scan for any power levels. He flew over Capsule Corp, and then over Martin's and Rika's house, and completely over West City. Once he hit the western outskirts, he suddenly got a flash of an abnormal power level. Upon flying in closer, he noticed there were two of them. These western outskirts of West City were in even worse shape than what he was used to on the lining of the desert. Homeless crowded around any open shops to beg, and any tall buildings seemed to be crumbling under their own weight. Little kids ran around outside in their underwear, hopping over fences and using whatever loose pipes and sticks they could find to play. The whole neighborhood suffered from a lack of color. Dominick found himself wandering toward an alley where the amount of people seemed more scarce. The taller building on the left had caved and fallen onto the roof of the shorter building on the right, creating a sort of ominous awning that made the alley much darker than the others around it, which is why it was strange more people didn't hang around it. As he stepped into the darkness, he felt one of the power levels disappear completely, and the other one take off away from the city into another desert. Both power levels held some sort of nostalgia for him, but the one that took moved away from the city seemed very familiar. He decided to follow it.

He continued to follow the power level through the desert. After several miles, trees started to pop up and became more and more common. Suddenly, he was above a forest. The power level stopped. He dropped down below the trees. Once Dominick hit the ground, the presence began creeping toward him. It was pure evil. He was expecting it to attack him at any moment.

"I'm impressed that you followed me all the way here." A familiar voice called. "You haven't gone soft in the months that we've been apart." The Black Sclera appeared from the trees into Dominick's view.

"I had a feeling it was you. I've been looking for you ever since then."

"You couldn't have found me until recently. It took me months to even manifest a physical body. I've had to float around in that purple cloud."

"Who was that other power level that was with you?" Dominick demanded. "I thought I recognized it from somewhere."

"Ah, you have a good memory." The Black Sclera said. "Actually you two have only met once, and it was a long time ago. I think you were probably five years old."

Dominick shook his head. "On second thought, that doesn't matter right now. This is a perfect time to end this dispute between us once and for all, 'Mr. Black Sclera'."

The Black Sclera chuckled and shook his head. "I have a name, now." He said. "Hotokira." He pulled a sword identical to Dominick's out of his belt. Dominick hadn't noticed that it had been there the whole time. "What do you think? You don't have your sword on you right now, do you?"

Dominick instinctively reach back at his belt, but only felt air.

"If we were to fight right now, you would surely die." Hotokira said. "You know it yourself, too, don't you?" He took his hand off of the sword. "Don't worry. I'm not out to kill you. I do need to weaken you, though. That in and of itself wouldn't be a problem, but I also need to be at full strength after I do so in order to merge our bodies again. For that reason, I have taken some precautionary measures."

"What do you mean by that?" Dominick demanded.

"You will find out very soon." Hotokira said as he suddenly disappeared from Dominick's view as quickly as he had taken off from the city.

"Shit!" Dominick exclaimed. "Where do you think you're going?!" He launched himself off the ground and out of the forest. He found himself heading back the way he came. Strange, considering there weren't many places to go in the city.

However, he was stopped above the desert by another power level; this one he knew very well. A teenage boy stood between him and the Hotokira's presence, which was getting farther away now. But suddenly, he didn't care about catching the Black Sclera. He only cared about this boy in front of him dressed in all black, with brown hair like his own, and with a fiery aura that made the sky glow red around him.

"Dalton…" Dominick started. "What are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you too." Dalton retorted. His eyes were no longer glowing red, instead they seemed devoid of all color. "You used that line on me, remember? And besides, I could ask you the same thing. What are you doing here?"

"I came to wish you a happy birthday."

"Don't joke around with me." Dalton said.

"Of course. I was looking for you. I wanted to smack some sense into you." Dominick replied. "You need to come home. Mom is worried."

"Tell her I'm fine. And that I can't come home anytime soon."

"Why not?"

"I have chosen my path." Dalton said with a smile. "A path that won't lead me home for a long while."

"And what path is that?" Dominick asked.

There was a silence that hung in the air for what seemed like hours. Finally, Dalton answered the question. "It is the path to power. The path that will allow me to protect Sakumi, and the path that will allow me to defeat you."

"What are you talking about?"

"Do you not get it? Have you not already noticed the leap in my strength since the last time we saw each other?"

Dominick was startled at how much he allowed to get past him. Dalton was right. He was a lot stronger than he was back in September when they fought Shihebi. "Dalton...where did you get this power?" Dominick demanded upon coming across a terrifying suspicion.

"It doesn't matter how I came across this power." Dalton said. "Not at this point."

Dominick blew up into a Super Saiyan. "Don't give me that!" He launched himself at his brother. Dalton backed up as he approached him. Suddenly, Dominick felt a sharp pain in his back. He turned around quickly to see Hotokira. His stomach dropped as his suspicion was concerned. "Dalton, what is the meaning of this?"

His brother looked down at him, but didn't speak.

"Good job, kid." Hotokira told Dalton, who looked away.

"DALTON!" Dominick screamed. "WHY ARE YOU WITH HIM?!"

"I told you." Dalton said. "I chose the path of power."

Dominick let out another scream as he transformed into a Super Saiyan 5. After months of training, he was finally able to do at will. His golden hair shone and reflected in an orange-ish tint off of his red fur. He lunged at his brother, but was stopped short again.

"Sit down." Hotokira said as he slashed Dominick's upper back with his sword. Dominick got dizzy and started to lose altitude. As he was falling, he turned himself around to see that Hotokira also took on the form of a Super Saiyan 5, only with black hair, black fur, and of course black scleras. His inner evil was following him to the ground, and Dominick realized his goal. He wanted to take his body back. He couldn't let that happen. Mustering all of his strength, Dominick put his fingers to his forehead. But in order to use the instant transmission technique, he had to visualize a destination first, and Hotokira was closing in fast. He had done it once using power levels, however. He frantically searched for any power levels in range that were not malicious. He thought it was strange that Dalton's power level did not feel evil, but that calmed him a little bit. Suddenly, he locked on to some slight power level a couple of cities away. _Don't think. Just go._ He disappeared just as Hotokira jabbed his sword at him.

"Damn." Hotokira said. "Close."

Dalton floated down to his elevation. "This had better be enough strength to protect Sakumi, Hotokira." He said.

"You will be pleased." He responded. "I will continue to draw out your latent power at a rate that won't kill you. You must be patient. You are a key component of this plan."

As the two of them descended to the ground, Dalton looked down at his feet. "You better not be lying. And you had better keep your promise to not touch our mother."

"Don't worry about that." He said. "I have no reason to harm your family. I am only carrying out my purpose as determined by my master Hangyaku."

Dalton glared at the Black Sclera. "And you had a reason to kill our father?"

"I've told you before, I am the reflection of your brother's deepest desires. That's why I won't hurt anyone he truly loves, and why I have the ability to help evoke the deepest desires of those around me." Hotokira explained.

Dalton looked back at the ground. "I _will_ take my revenge."

Hotokira smiled at him. "Yes, you will. And by doing so, you will make the world a better place."

The two looked up at a sun that was just cresting over the top of the sky. It looked perfectly balanced, as if resting on top of a globe, and ready to fall either way at any second. Dalton wanted to protect Sakumi with all of his heart, so her sun would never roll off of her edge.


	32. Infiltration

_Chapter XXXII : Infiltration_

Dominick woke up in a dark room. With his vision still blurry, all he could see besides blackness was a slight blue-green glow in the distance. At this point, he was used to waking up in strange places and figured this was just another part of his subconscious world. After his eyes were able to adjust, he started to make out various structures like microscopes and computers. "Am I in a lab?" He asked himself. "What part of my mind is this?"

"This is real life, Dominick." That voice was familiar. It belonged to Android Thirteen.

"So you're the power level I sensed…" Suddenly remember the events that led him here, he frantically felt at his back for the gash. It still hurt to the touch, but the bleeding was stopped and the wound itself was closed.

"Yes, you just appeared out of nowhere and passed out." Thirteen responded.

Dominick laughed. "Sorry about that." Dominick stood up and looked around. "Is this a lab?"

"Yes." Thirteen responded. "This is I found the growing Molecule a couple of months ago." He said.

"Oh, right." Dominick said. "The one that we beat was from the future. So the one from the present was still just a baby?"

"About the size of a tennis ball. He was curled up in that tank over there." Thirteen pointed to the blue-green glow in the other room. "I actually ended up absorbing its power, so now my transformation is several times more powerful than before. I don't think you ever saw it. I only used it once against Shihebi a couple of months ago."

"Yeah, I was probably still fighting Deis." Dominick replied. "Can I take a look around?"

"Of course." Thirteen obliged.

Dominick started immediately for the room with the blue-green light. Thirteen was speaking of the past when he talked about a tank. Now, there was nothing more than a ring of broken glass on top of a cylindrical stand with a blue-green light shining in the center. A weird stickiness covered the stand and the floor around it. All around it were computers that had probably not been turned on in years. Now that he thought about it, Molecule was actually made before cell, so they probably hadn't been turned on since before cell died, which was over 250 years ago. Other than that light, everything else seemed to lack color, including Thirteen's red jacket he always wore. In fact, his normally blue eyes seemed to be a dull shade of grey. That was what first caused Dominick to notice something was off. Then he observed the absence of expression in the Android's face.

"Hey...are you really Android Thirteen?" Dominick asked after turning away from him. There was no answer, and as he turned back around to face the Android, he saw the pale cream color of his skin turn into a sickly gray, his eyes turned completely black, and black streaks leaked and ran down his face and onto his chest. His whole body tensed and bulged, and he grew almost a full foot taller. He also grew a tail, just like Molecule had. The two really had become more similar.

Dominick jumped back as soon as he sensed the ill intent radiating from Android Thirteen. He was still injured. It would be hard for him to use his full power. Mustering his strength, he managed to transform into a Super Saiyan 4.

Thirteen barrelled through the strewn out equipment in the lab toward Dominick, throwing alternating left and right hook at Dominick's upper body. Dominick was able to avoid them all with a smaller and lighter body which was easier to move around in. After ducking under a left hook to the face, Dominick lunged in for his own attack to the face. Thirteen caught the punch with ease and started bending Dominick's wrist backward. _He's almost as strong as Dalton!_ Dominick realized. _Did absorbing Molecule really give him this much of a power boost?_ He found himself slowly being lowered to the ground by Thirteen's brute force. Thinking quickly, he kicked hard up at the android's abdomen, sending him flying up into the ceiling. There must have been a floor above them. And judging from the sound of his footsteps, there was a floor below them as well. Dominick blasted a hole in the floor and jumped down.

Once he hit the ground, which was a surprisingly long time after he jumped, he reverted back to his base form and concealed his power level as best he could. The room was completely dark and he couldn't see anything except for a dim light that showed on the floor below the hole he had blasted. Intrigued by this room, he began to walk forward, feeling for anything in front of him that could make noise if he knocked it over. The room was surprisingly empty, and he was left in his thoughts.

 _Thirteen, too? This can't be right. There's no way Thirteen would turn against us. He and Martin are best friends. Same with Dalton, he loves our mother too much to run away like this. Something is off with both of them. Both of their eyes...seem to have lost all color. There must be some sort of outside influence. It's the only possibility at this point...but what could it be?_

Suddenly, Dominick found the wall, marking one end of the room. He decided he would scale the wall and look for a door or another way out. After what felt like about a hundred meters along the wall, it ended, and turned into vertical bars, like in a jail. _Wait, a jail? What for?_ There was a strange absence of life forces in this cellar for the presence of a jail to make any sense. Feeling up and down at the edge of the wall before the jail, he found a switch, flicked and the room lit up barely enough for him to see about a meter or two in front of him. But that distance was enough for him to see something he probably shouldn't have. Being the bars were homeless people, ragged and unshaven, just like the ones he had seen in the town earlier. These ones were dead. Their bodies were strewn about the floor of their cell, twisted and dismembered. He could more easily count those that had all of their limbs intact. He quickly turned around and covered his mouth. He suddenly felt dizzy and wanted to vomit. Upon turning around, he saw Android Thirteen behind him. He backed up and hit the bars of the jail cell, then his knees buckled and his back slid down until he was in the fetal position on the floor.

"You've found...that, I see." Thirteen murmured. "Don't worry." He smiled. "They were worthless to the planet. I've done us all a favor by doing this."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Dominick stammered. "How many...innocent people have you killed?"

"Oh, please." Thirteen cooned. "They weren't innocent. They were all drug abusers, murderers, and overall wastes of space if nothing else. This is the fatal flaw of the human race. They allow this to happen as if it's 'under the table', and don't do a thing about it. So I've decided to take over for them."

"Are you insane?" Dominick demanded. "Did you take some influence from Shihebi? We may think about cleansing the world all the time, and that's alright, but to actually kill these people is…"

"Until a couple of months ago, I was the same way: hesitant and unwilling to take action for fear of the violation of my own selfish morals." Thirteen explained. "But Hotokira was able to help me lower those inhibitions. I am now a completely different person than I was a couple of months ago, and with that my power has increased nearly ten-fold."

 _Hotokira. That was the outside influence. Both Thirteen and Dalton have been granted power by Hotokira, the Black Sclera, and both of them have virtually become evil. There has to be a connection. There has to… This is all his fault. I'll kill Hotokira. I'll kill him for fuckng with my friends and family. I'LL KILL HIM!_ The thoughts screamed inside Dominick's head as he found it harder and harder to deduce what was actually going on.

He let out a scream of rage and transformed into a Super Saiyan 5. He was suddenly behind the android and threw an elbow at the back of his head. With a grunt, the android fell forward onto his face. Dominick held out his palm, and in a fit of anger, concentrated all the energy he could muster into an energy blast aimed at Thirteen. Right as he was about to fire, he snapped out of his blind rage and lowered his hand. There were more pressing matters than killing one of his friends in the heat of the moment, he found.

The android was unconscious and had reverted back into his humanoid form. He's elbowed him harder than he thought. He would be out for a while. Dominick bent down and put his hand on the back of Thirteen's shoulder, and used his other hand to position for instant transmission. If he could get the android to Capsule Corp, they would have a chance to figure out what was wrong with him. With that thought, he disappeared.

* * *

Dalton glanced at Hotokira as they set foot back in the alley where Dominick had found them. "Thirteen is fighting Dominick, now." He told the Black Sclera. "Shouldn't we go help him?"

"They will be fine." Hotokira responded.

"No matter how much strength Thirteen has gained, he's still no match for a Super Saiyan 5. He'll die."

"He won't. Dominick doesn't have it in him to kill his friend. He can't do it."

"You're forgetting that he killed Katsu. They were good friends at one point."

"And you're forgetting that I was still in his body when he did that. His emotions are more controlled now that I'm gone, and that is a problem that we face in getting his body back."

"Fine." Dalton said. "If that's it, I'm going back to see Sakumi."

"Hold on." Hotokira beckoned for him to come back. "I can give you a little more power today."

Dalton nodded, and Hotokira rested his palm on the top of his head. He felt his blood warming as he opened his spirit and allow the power to pour in. He didn't like this feeling. It was like his own individuality was being replaced by the power he was receiving. Despite the energy warming his own body temperature, he felt chilled as it entered his body. He was feeling so many things as once, but the overwhelming feeling he got once it was done was that of power.

"I think I could do it soon." He said as he opened and closed his fist slowly. "Become a Super Saiyan 5, that is. And once I achieve that…" He smiled. "No one will come between me and Sakumi." Dalton concentrated his flames into the palm of his hand. The were so dense and held so much energy that the entire alley was lit up as if there was no overhang blocking the sun at all. In fact, the flames were so bright it felt like a huge flashlight was being shown into the alley. Even Hotokira had to cover his eyes. The heat was extreme as well. It was not to the point of scalding the skin, but the alley felt like an isolated summer day, dried up but dense air at the same time. Suddenly, it was extinguished. Dalton smiled again, then flew off to be with Sakumi.

* * *

Martin's cousin, Chonie, was the first one that Dominick ran into at Capsule Corp. _Oh, great._ She had beautiful, silky purple hair that was teased and hung down past her shoulders. She wore a natural style makeup, but it was easy to tell she was wearing it. She also always seemed to be wearing clothes that were a little revealing. She was almost thirty and still single, and very flirty. She was a nice girl and super good with machines and technology, but common sense and deductive reasoning were certainly not her strong points.

"Dominick! It's been too long since you visited me!" She called. "Ichimei's not with you? You didn't dump her for me, did you?"

"I've come over a couple of times in the last few months. You were just never here." Dominick said, ignoring her question. "Anyway, can we take a look at him? I want to see if there's anything different about his brainwaves."

"Oh, sure." She said. Dominick handed the unconscious android off to Chonie.

As she carried him downstairs, Dominick called out to her, "Where's Martin?"

"At his house." She called back. She was already out of view at this point.

"I guess I'll go over there, then." Dominick said to himself. "She has my number, she can call us back when she's done." He decided he would save some energy and fly over to Martin's house instead of using instant transmission. He had time to kill. And he figured if Hotokira and Dalton were actively looking for him, they would have sensed his power level spike when he fought Thirteen. He walked out the door and was on his way. It wasn't a far flight, but he began thinking he should have used the instant transmission. Being alone for so long had left him with his thoughts too much today.

Martin was waiting for him outside his front door. His house was in a similar neighborhood to Dominick's, but was slightly bigger. "I felt your energy approaching." He said. "Do you have news?"

"You could say that." Dominick replied. "I found both of them."

"Both?" Martin asked, crossing his arms.

"Dalton and the Black Sclera." Dominick told him. "Together."

"What do you mean by that?" Martin inquired. "They were on the same side?"

Dominick nodded his head. "And Thirteen, too."

"Thirteen?"

"Both of them have joined the Black Sclera, or 'Hotokira', as he calls himself."

"There's no way that could happen." Martin protested.

"I thought the same thing." Dominick explained. "Which is why I brought Thirteen back to Capsule Corp. Dalton said something about the Black Sclera giving him the power he needed to defeat me, but I would have thought Dalton would be too prideful to accept power from someone else, much less the spitting image of his brother. I think this 'Hotokira' is giving them power to mask what he is really doing to them. I think he is putting them under some sort of hypnosis, and using them as slaves of a sort, giving them the illusion that they have their own free will."


	33. Makara no Uragiri

_Chapter XXXIII : Makara no Uragiri_

"You brought Thirteen back to Capsule Corp?"

"Yeah, that's why I came to get you. Chonie might know how to run all the machines, but you're the only one smart enough to make any sense of the data." Dominick explained.

"And...you're saying that the Black Sclera...has the power to put people under hypnosis?" Martin asked. "So he isn't really a part of you?"

"I don't know anymore." Dominick replied. "I don't know anything."

Martin, not wanting to thrust Dominick into a greater state of confusion, hastily changed the subject. "Well, why don't we head over?"

Dominick nodded, but as they were about to leave, he froze. "Do you feel that?" He whispered.

"Feel what?"

"That power level. It's close by." Dominick said.

"What are you talking about?" Martin asked. "I don't feel anything."

"I'm going to follow it. You go to Capsule Corp."

"No, wait-" Martin started, but Dominick had already taken off. He let out a sigh. "I'm starting to worry about him." He said to himself. He focused again to see what Dominick was following, but there was nothing. "I'm not getting soft, am I?" He said, then began flying toward Capsule Corp.

* * *

Dominick was flying as fast as he could, but the power he was following was still pulling away from him. Apparently, it had noticed him following it and decided to make a run for it. _How can he be this fast? The power level isn't even that big._ Suddenly, he thought of an idea. He knew the general whereabouts of where the power was located. If he visualized the place as well as the power level in that place, instant transmission would theoretically be even easier using this technique. First he locked his mind onto the energy. Then he used that location to visualize its surroundings. He had everything he needed, so he put his fingers to his forehead and disappeared.

"Impressive." He heard from behind him. "I had not expected you to have honed the Instant Transmission technique to this extent." The voice was completely unfamiliar, but spoke in a way that sounded almost comfortable, like he had known it for his entire life.

Dominick found himself above a small patch of trees in the middle of some grassy plains south of Martin's house. He turned around, expecting a familiar face, but was not very surprised when he wasn't met by one. "I haven't seen you around." He said. "Who are you?"

The man in front of him had a humanoid figure, but clearly did not belong to the race. Despite his pale skin, he had purple irises enclosing white pupils. His purple hair fell into a brown hood just below his shoulders. The brown cloak extended all the way down to his feet. A very monotone look; like an assassin. "Meiryu Rievere." The man said. "Although I prefer Mr. Rievere. I'm not a fan of my first name."

"Your name doesn't tell me anything." Dominick snapped back at him.

"Okay," Mr. Rievere started. "if I told you I was well acquainted with Deis, would that make a difference?"

Dominick suddenly realized that this Mr. Rievere wasn't going to be an average trained martial artist like the rest of them. Maybe he really was an assassin. Maybe he was hired by Deis to kill them in case Deis himself couldn't complete the job...no, that wouldn't make sense. Dominick gave himself a mental slap. He was thinking too much again. "In what way were you acquainted with Deis?"

"It was rather complicated, actually." He explained. "I actually became acquainted with him through my mission. It was to spy on Shihebi; to make sure he produced favorable results. To do that, I had to become a double agent as Deis's informant."

"You had to spy on Shihebi?" Dominick asked. "For what reason?"

"That reason, you do not need to know. But I can tell you that Shihebi performed quite well, with only one annoyance arising from his part of the plan. That part is you."

"Me?" Dominick demanded.

"More specifically, your separation from Hangyaku's creation."

"Hangyaku? You're not talking about the Black Sclera, are you?"

"That's what you call it?" Mr. Rievere said to himself. "I guess its sclerae are black."

Dominick grabbed hold of Mr. Rievere's brown cloak. "Okay, you know way too much about my current situation for me to just let you off the hook." He snarled. "What's next, are you going to tell me why my brother betrayed me?"

Mr. Rievere gave him a blank stare. "It's because of Hangyaku's creation, is it not?"

Dominick punched the purple-haired man as hard as he could. A surge of pain ran all the way up his arm. Looking down, he saw his hand was swollen and his fingers disfigured. He'd broken his hand? But how? Wasn't he the one that dealt the blow? "What the hell...is this?" Dominick demanded, grimacing from the pain.

"What indeed." Mr. Rievere said. "That punch didn't hurt me one bit, and you must be asking yourself why you felt like your 'max power' punch was deflected back up your arm. It has to be some special ability I have that allows me to counter any strike with an equal amount of power, right?"

It was as if he'd read Dominick's mind, and almost word-for-word. Who was this guy? "There has to be some limit to that power." Dominick stated.

"Wrong. That is not my power." Mr. Rievere corrected him. "In fact, I don't have any special abilities, besides hiding my energy really well. What you felt was actually the power of your own punch. It was just not able to move my body. Your hand was literally crushed between my face and the inertia of the rest of your arm."

Dominick, starting to grasp was Mr. Rievere was trying to say, struggled to find words. "You...you mean…"

"Yes. What injured your hand was simply a difference in strength." Mr. Rievere smiled. "Yes, yes. In terms of the amount of raw energy I harbor, I am most definitely in the top ten in the Omniverse."

"How...is this…"

"I fought during the Second Omniverse War, 54,000 years ago. I am the last of the living Makara Warriors. I'm the only one left. It's ironic, though. Even during the war, I was not able to compete with those who had mastered even up to three Powers, yet I outlived them all. The enemy set their sights on me because of my ability to completely conceal my power level, although I had to be able to, or else my very existence would have killed many innocent people. I agreed to work under them, and in return, they promised me eternal youth. And look at me now. I still have the same 25-year-old body that I had 54,000 years ago. And because of that, I did not fall victim to the great power extinction. I retained all of the power I had back then. I still serve the enemies of the Makara to this day."

Dominick glared at the man in front of him. "I don't know all about this history stuff, or who was good or bad back then. But betraying your comrades for a selfish reason like that is beyond cowardly."

Mr. Rievere gave Dominick a look that made him feel like the air would crush him. "Talk to me about cowardice," he said, "when you can land a blow on me without shattering the bones in your hand."

Dominick let out a scream and transformed into a Super Saiyan 5. It was more of a panicked transformation. "Don't talk so high about yourself!" He said in a shaky voice. "At the very least, I was able to sense your power."

"Let's not get too ahead of ourselves." Mr. Rievere coaxed. Suddenly, the ground below began to cave in and nearby trees fell over without any wind to blow them down. The air around Mr. Rievere literally began to warp and shimmer around him. Dominick couldn't move. It felt as if the air was so dense, it had become more of a plasma than a gas. Mr. Rievere stuck his finger out toward Dominick's forehead. "I channeled my energy out to you, just like this. I wanted you to find me. I felt it was appropriate to introduce myself, now that your conflict with Hangyaku's creation is on the rise. My mission is not to harm you. I am only to ensure that the two of you do become one again."

Dominick struggled to keep his eyes from rolling back into their sockets. His clothes felt like they weighed a ton just from the amount of sweat that had drenched them. His head felt like it was going to explode. "I...won't...ever…" He struggled.

"Oh, and if you do end up killing Hangyaku's creation, my next orders will likely be to end your life immediately."

Dominick could no longer hold off the increasing pressure around him. His eyes rolled back into his head and his vision went black.

* * *

Martin got a horrible feeling on his way to Capsule Corp. He could see smoke in the distance. _Shit._ He increased his speed.

When he got to Capsule Corp, the back half of the main dome of the building was collapsed. Apparently, the fire had already been put out. He talked to police, who had already arrived at the scene. They said no one was in the building when they looked. Martin knew that much already. He couldn't feel any life forces from inside, but that was what worried him. Dominick had said Chonie was there. And the only person around capable of doing this much damage was...he already knew the answer.

"He couldn't have gotten very far." He told himself, but after searching the area, he found nothing. He flew straight up in the air to get a clearer sense of his surroundings.

"Are you looking for me?"

Martin saw a form of Android Thirteen that he'd never seen before. He had the gray skin and the black streaks and hair, but his physique remained in its base form. He also kept his red jacket and shirt, and his hair remained hanging down past his shoulders. "Thirteen." He said. "Where is Chonie?"

"She is fine." The android replied. "I told her to flee before luring you here."

"I heard...you joined the Black Sclera."

"I did."

"Why?"

"Why did you join Dominick?"

"I've always been with Dominick!"

"No, you joined him because you felt it was right."

"You're telling me I'm wrong? That the Black Sclera is actually on the good side?"

"That is what I'm saying."

Martin saw the merit of Dominick's theory that the two were under hypnosis. Glaring, he asked, "What's with that new form? Did you get it from the Black Sclera, too?"

"This?" Thirteen asked, checking his own arms out. "What do you mean? This is my normal base form, is it not?"

"Obviously not."

"Maybe the appearance is different, I guess. I did allow Molecule to take over more of my body."

"Why would you do that?"

"To gain power."

Martin clenched his fists. "You've sunk very low, Thirteen." When the android did not respond, he asked another question. "Why did you let me find you? You know I am stronger than you."

"I wanted you to join me." Thirteen said. "You are the only one I can trust. Together, we can take out the Black Sclera, Dalton, Dominick, and the rest of them. We can purify this word."

"And if I refuse?"

"You won't refuse. I have always had your back, and you have always had mine. You and Chonie were the ones that saved me all those years ago. Unless, perhaps, this has all been fake this whole time?"

Martin snarled and pointed at the Android. "Don't ever accuse me of being fake."

"I'm simply making observations."

Martin's power swelled with anger. He transformed into a Super Saiyan 4, but his power did not stop rising. His hair flashed golden and his power exploded again.

Thirteen showed a hint of surprise. "Is that Super Saiyan 5? Since when did you achieve that form?" He asked.

"A couple weeks after Shihebi died." Martin explained. "Dominick figured out how to do it at will, and he told me it was just like going Super Saiyan normally, but you just had to do it while being a Super Saiyan 4 first. It was a lot harder, though, since you need to be able to stabilize Super Saiyan 4 almost perfectly, and you expend a lot more power."

"Well, if you refuse to join me, I guess there is nothing to be done about it." Thirteen said. "I can show you, however, that the difference in our power is not as great as you had thought." He threw his hands down and back, and his jacket and shirt ripped as his body bulged and grew, and his hair spiked up. He then doubled over and started to let out a bellow as his power level continued to rise.

Martin's eyes widened as the android's energy continued to grow. "Just...how much of yourself have you given up?" He stammered. "At this level...even Super Saiyan 2 Gogito might not even stand a chance..!"


	34. The Beginning of the End

_Chapter XXXIV : The Beginning of the End_

Martin sighed. "Fine. Let's go somewhere else and settle this."

Thirteen nodded. The two of them headed east into the plains between West City and the town where Dominick lived. With neither town in sight, Martin looked back to tell Thirteen that this would be a good place, but he was gone. Confused, Martin looked around him. His power level was still around him, but he couldn't seem to find the android.

"I've gotten good at hiding myself." The android said. He was above. "You and Chonie gave me a human heart, and with that I found that I had to learn from scratch how to hide like this." He then flipped backward and brought his heel down on Martin's head.

Martin blocked the attack, and, lowering his shoulder, he dove into Thirteen, hitting him right in the stomach. He continued to push the android back upwards until they could hardly see the ground. Thirteen was able to wedge his hands between Martin and himself and push his opponent away. The wind was howling at this altitude, and it was harder to see because of it. The android blasted Martin with a barrage of small energy blasts, each with more power than he had previously held. He abruptly stopped fired and flew further up. Martin broke out of the smoke caused by the attack and followed his opponent. Thirteen looked down to realize that Martin was gaining on him. He turned around and charged back down at his friend. The two clashed and began to fall back downward. They both dealt and blocked blows with striking speed. Martin was only able to land a couple good hits, but he only let one of Thirteen's attacks get by his defenses.

"You've barely taken the offensive after this whole time." Thirteen remarked. "No matter. My time is almost up, anyway."

"What the hell do you mean by that?"

As if on cue, Dalton seemed to drop out of nowhere, driving his feet into Martin's back, leaving his face down on the ground. Dalton hopped off of him and acknowledged Thirteen. He was already in his Super Saiyan 4 form. Then, Hotokira appeared behind him, the grass cowering under his feet. He crossed his arms and wore a slight smile on his face.

"You two are early." The android said.

Dalton squatted down by Martin's face. "Sorry about this. I don't have a grudge against you, but we need something to get Dominick angry." There was no movement from Martin in response. Dalton looked back at Hotokira. "I didn't knock him out, did I?"

Martin took the opportunity when Dalton let his guard down. A kick from a Super Saiyan 4 definitely hurt, but it was nowhere near enough to put Martin down for the count. He grabbed Dalton by the back of the head and shoved it into the ground. "I'd always known you were a little brat," he said, "but I'd never thought you would go this far just to be stronger than your brother." Dalton's feet flailed and he tried to grab Martin's wrist as angered muffles came from the dirt. "Don't bother trying to get out of this one. I'm even stronger than Dominick in this form, so don't think I can't take you all out!"

He looked at the other two. Hotokira was still just smiling, and Thirteen was giving him almost a pitiful look. Hotokira walked over to Martin and transformed into a Super Saiyan 5. It was basically instantaneous. He didn't even go Super Saiyan 4 first, like Martin and Dominick always did. He kicked Martin off of Dalton with relative ease. Martin rolled a couple meters before he stood up again. Dalton sat up and looked at the floor, fuming with rage.

Hotokira sneered. "You're forgetting that I, too, am stronger than Dominick. I kicked Shihebi's ass in his final form, an opponent that easily broke through his defenses. I've seen both of your powers. Judging from that, you're about twenty percent stronger than him right now. But you're looking at someone who has just about eighty percent on him."

"You're bluffing." Martin claimed. "That's almost twice as strong. There's no way there can be that much of a power gap between you two."

"Oh, but there is." Hotokira explained. "You see, I claim to be the same person as Dominick, but that is not entirely true. I am actually an artificial being created in Dominick's image. I have just lived inside of him for fourteen years, so I have picked up on all of his mannerisms and behaviors, not to mention his techniques and powerups. I have been a part of him for _my_ whole life. That's why, from my point of view, we might as well be the same being. Also, as a side effect from our extended amount of time together, our lives have become linked. However, I was given one mission before I was to enter Dominick's body, and that was to take over control of that body in order to use his power to serve my creator, Hangyaku. To make sure this was possible, Hangyaku imbued some of his power within me during my creation, resulting in the power difference you are observing right now."

"This Hangyaku…" Martin managed. "I assume he's stronger than you?"

Hotokira nodded. "Our powers couldn't even begin to compare."

"Fuck...looks like we got our work cut out for us."

The Black Sclera smiled again and started toward Martin. "Oh, I forgot one last thing." As he inched closer, he drew the sword hanging at his waist. "Spending fourteen years in an empty black room, slowly building my power...it gave me a lot of time on my hands. You'll let me demonstrate the results of all that time, won't you?" The sword seemed to fill with a pure white light. "Dominick has caught glimpses of this power in his fights, but I have learned to condense enough light into this blade to physically heat it up to the point where it will burn your skin."

"You've essentially made a lightsaber. I don't see the big deal." Martin retorted.

"Another thing is, and this part of me likely come from Hangyaku, I've found myself to like long-ranged blades more. Like javelins and spears...and tridents."

"What does that have to-" Martin started, but the blade had already pierced his skin. It took him a while to register what had happened. The sword completely impaled him right below where his collar bone and his right shoulder meet. Hotokira had thrown the sword, but he didn't even see it leave his hand. "You…" He dropped to one knee.

"I don't think you'll be resisting much from now on." Hotokira said as he walked over to retrieve his weapon. He motioned for the other two to follow him. "Now, all we have to do is sit and wait for Dominick to come flying to your rescue." He brought his hand behind Martin's neck and with a quick flick of his wrist, delivered a chop to his pressure point. In the instant before he lost consciousness, Martin extended his thoughts out with all his might, hoping Dominick might hear them through whatever means may work. _Don't come, Dominick...It's a setup! The Black Sclera is stronger than both of us could have imagined!_ As those final thoughts left his mind, he could no longer stay conscious, and hit the ground.

* * *

Dominick abruptly sat up in the middle of the desert just east of his own town and west of the ocean. Looking around him and not knowing how he got here, he stood up and noticed Hotokira standing about twenty meters away from him. Next to Hotokira was Martin with his hands behind his back. Around his hands was a purple, cloudy substance that extended all the way into the ground. It seemed like time were frozen, or at least moving very slowly. He recognized this scene. It was the same dream that the three of them kept having before Deis and Shihebi showed up. It was only a dream. But this time, it was different somehow. He had full control over his body. He could move around, and actually hear his surroundings. More importantly, he retained the ability to think in this dream. He looked around again for the dead body that was always there. He found it lying off to his right. It had black clothes and a light blue belt. Only one person Dominick knew dressed like that. And sticking out of its side was _his_ sword. _Dominick's_ sword. He recoiled away from the body once his put the pieces together. _Am I responsible...for this?_ He looked for Thirteen as well. He had less luck that time. All he could find was a severed arm with many wires falling out of it, and blood leaking out of metal veins. _This can't...be a warning, can it?_

Movement from near Hotokira caught his eye. Martin was now struggling in his cloud-like chains. He looked up at Dominick as if he wanted to say something, but nothing came out. Dominick started toward Martin, but stopped when he heard an echo of his voice. It kept getting louder and clearer as each second passed. Before long, he could make out what he said: "Don't come, Dominick...It's a setup! The Black Sclera is stronger than both of us could have imagined!"

Hotokira turned around and jabbed his sword into Martin's abdomen, who began coughing up blood and dropped to his knees. He looked back at Dominick and smiled. "So?" He mocked. "What will you do?"

Dominick exploded in a fiery rage and at the same time, the ground cracked and split beneath him. He fell toward the center of the Earth, finding himself unable to fly. He suddenly stopped falling. If was not as if he was flying, but just standing on the air in the massive ravine that had formed in the Earth. The walls on either side was red-hot. He could feel the heat, even though he was sure it was a dream. He then noticed that Dalton was standing across from him, his body completely engulfed in flames to the point where one could barely make out a human figure. But he just knew it was Dalton. "Dalton!" He called out desperately. "I don't want this to happen! Come back! We can defeat the Black Sclera if we work together!" There was no response. It was as if the flame in front of him was hardly human. "YOU DON'T HAVE TO DIE LIKE THIS!"

Dalton extended his fiery sword at Dominick. "You will pay for everything you've done."

Dominick tried to respond to his claim, but the words wouldn't come out. He couldn't breathe. Dalton rushed forward and plunged the sword into Dominick's chest. He could feel every ounce of pain as it pierced and burned his skin. Dalton did not stop driving forward, but angled them both downward into the bubbling magma below. Dominick grimaced as his clothes caught on fire from Dalton's sword and quickly engulfed the rest of his body. The two dove further down as one single flame. He could feel himself slowly disintegrating from the searing heat of the lava he was dipping into, until it finally covered his face, and he closed his eyes. This pain was too much to bear. He knew at any second his life would end, but each second felt like a whole year. When would it end? When would it end? When-

* * *

Dominick woke up screaming in the back room of the temple at Dende's lookout. Kibito Kai walked through the door upon hearing the screams. When Dominick realized he wasn't submerged in lava anymore, he stopped screaming, but the pained look didn't leave his face.

"What happened?" Kibito Kai asked. "Tell me everything."

"I...I have to…" Dominick tried to get up, but couldn't. His broken hand was healed, but he felt pain and fatigue all over his body. "I had a dream about the Black Sclera." He said. "At least I hope it was just a dream. In it, I was engulfed in flames and submerged in lava. I could feel the pain. I'm still hurting even now…"

"You're in pain because of Meiryu's power. It drained much of your energy, which I cannot heal through normal methods. Our only option is to wait for Korin to grow more Senzus." Kibito Kai explained.

"You know Mr. Rievere?" Dominick asked.

"I know _of_ him." He responded. "He appeared in the history textbooks when I was still training to become a Supreme Kai. He was somewhat important because of his incredible stealth, he was a great asset to the Makara Warriors. It's hard to believe he's still alive after all this time."

Dominick took a second look at Kibito Kai. "A great asset?" He asked. "He told me himself that he betrayed his friends to gain eternal youth."

Kibito Kai looked taken aback. "That is not what the history books said."

Dominick leaned in, confused. _Which one do I believe?_ "Kibito Kai, please tell me everything you know about the Second Omniverse War and the Great Power Extinction." He was determined to learn the truth. Between Shihebi and Deis, the Black Sclera, his sword, and now this Makara Warrior Mr. Rievere, he needed some sort of hard answer to all of this. The feeling that something much bigger was beginning loomed evermore over him.


	35. The Second Omniverse War

_Chapter XXXV : The Second Omniverse War_

The Supreme Kai sighed and sat down. "The existence of the Kais have been as absolute as the existence of the Omniverse. The documentation of events began about a billion years ago. No one knows if the Omniverse existed before then for sure, but the very first writings from the first Supreme Kais showed almost no signs of life at all. Life was extremely difficult for a long period of time, so the idea of complacency wasn't yet conceived. These primitive beings adapted and evolved into insanely powerful beings, with the very weakest ones likely still stronger than any one of us now. The strongest were even able to master one or two Powers completely."

Dominick interjected here. "I keep hearing about these 'powers'. What are they?"

Kibito kai stopped to try and think of how to explain them briefly. "You see, there are seven Omniversal constants when it comes to gaining power. One can gain power through obtaining physical strength, enduring physical pain, or gaining physical knowledge like muscle memory. Similarly, one can also gain power through exhibiting emotional strength, enduring emotional pain, or obtaining knowledge in the mind as opposed to knowledge of the body. The seventh Power is in a category of its own, and can only be mastered by endowment or bloodline, and it is Divinity. So basically, if you aren't an Angel or know one personally, you have absolutely no chance of mastering this Power. There is a diagram to show the Powers, and it is a hexagon with a line extending vertically upward from the top. At the end of the line is Divinity. On the top corner of the hexagon is Wisdom, and clockwise from there, it goes: Pain, Strength, Instinct, Sadness, and Will. Mastering any one of these powers will increase one's strength several times over, but no one has come anywhere close since the Great Power Extinction, so the Powers have basically become lost to time, as have many other things from the time of the war."

Dominick nodded. "I think I understand that, then."

"Continuing, the strongest of the warriors before the war became known as the Makara Warriors. Trouble stirred, though when the Goddess known as the Holy Mother, whose blood runs in all Angels, and the one man who was able to Master all seven Powers, now known as the Father of the Dark, had a pair of twin boys together. These twins were to either bring peace and comfort to the Omniverse, or leave it in ruins. One, called the Divine Child inherited all of the holy power from his mother, including the Power of Divinity. The other, called the Savage Child, inherited no Divinity, but was born with the mastery of three Powers: Strength, Will, and Instinct. But the problem did not lie in their powers. While the Divine Child inherited his power from his mother, he inherited his father's greed for more power, and while the Savage Child inherited his power from his father, he inherited his mother's grand perspective on the world, and strived for peace. Unfortunately, the Father of the Dark betrayed the Holy Mother and took the children and fled. He and the Divine Child manipulated the Savage Child from a naive young age into becoming a mindless killing machine. They led him to believe that the more of the Makara he killed, the closer the Omniverse would be to achieving peace. The Father of the Dark was born with the ability to absorb Power, which was why the Holy Mother granted him Divinity and chose him to be the father of her children. He used this ability to absorb the various Powers of the Makara that the Savage Child was killing, and was constantly growing in power, feeding his own greed.

"This massacre and the uprising against it became known as the Second Omniverse War. In total, it lasted 55 years. Over those years, the number of Makara dwindled, but never fell below half. With this threat, new Makara Warriors were born into the Omniverse almost as fast as they were being killed off. And they were getting stronger, too. With about 5 years remaining into the war, the Divine Child, now well into adulthood, was fed up with his father essentially hoarding all the power they were obtaining. Because his power all lied in Divinity, his fighting power was underwhelming. This led his father to focus mainly on the Savage Child. Over the years of neglect the Divine Child suffered through, he taught himself many, many dark techniques. At the same time, the Savage Child was growing more and more intelligent, and it was an inevitability that the two of them conspired to overthrow their father. However, this war would end with several overlooked details. With the Savage Child doing a vast majority of the killing, the Father of the Dark also had time to refine his own techniques. Eventually, the two snapped and tried to assassinate their father. They succeeded in taking both of his arms, one of his eyes, and one of his lungs, but they couldn't take his life before he displayed his ultimate technique he had been developing over the time of the war for the entire Omniverse to not only see, but also feel the wrath of. This technique was to not absorb the Power, but actually steal it from live beings. It was activated on such a grand scale that every single Makara Warrior lost their Power. It is said that 99 percent died instantly once they lost their Power. Those that did not die instantly went into hiding with hardly enough power to defend themselves. The war was over, and this event was known as the Great Power Extinction.

"The Divine and Savage Children were also affected by the Great Power Extinction, however the Divine Child had it much worse. He was basically immobilized and bed-ridden. The Savage Child trusted and loved his brother more than anything else. He had taught him to think for himself, how to read, how to speak, and many more valuable things. The Savage Child was even beginning to question his prior killings, and whether or not they were just. At one point, he vowed to stop killing unless it was for the sake of protecting his brother. He was severely weakened by his father's devastating technique, but not to the point where he couldn't function. For one reason or another, he had actually _kept_ the Power of Instinct after the Great Power Extinction. As he watched over his brother, he too missed one small but crucial detail. From the years of neglect, the Divine Child harbored hatred for his father, but deep down, he still desperately wanted to please his father, and to make it so his father had no choice but to pay him mind. However, to do this, he needed power, but he had lost his Divinity and likely did not have much longer to live. This was where one of the dark techniques came in. The Divine Child had actually mastered the art of "Slave Parasite Hypnosis", in which the user has complete control over what the victim does and says, as well as obtaining the victim's power and appearance. The only requirement is that the user must have a steady supply of the victim's blood. With the Savage Child's absolute trust in the Divine Child, it was not hard for him to get a blood sample to initiate the technique. And with that, the Divine Child was no more. Instead, there were two Savage Children.

"All did not go well with the Father of the Dark, either. What happened to him could be compared to water on a rigid surface. Over the period of the war, he was gaining power slowly, bit by bit. It was not enough to break the 'surface tension' of his power. However, once he enacted the Great Power Extinction, the influx of power was too much, and it overflowed and spilled out. He had lost everything. Full of shame, he returned to the Holy Mother to ask for her help, but she turned him away. Everything was over for him, leaving the Omniverse free for the two Savage children to take over. But the Divine Child's mind was warped beyond repair. He went to his father, a now broken man, and offered to help him regain the power he once had. The Father of the Dark had no reason to refuse as he was dying anyway. And with that, the three of them disappeared, never to be seen again. They went into hiding, but after 54,000 years with no sign of them, and the fact that they had lost Divinity and with it immortality, they are presumed dead by all."

Dominick was awestruck. "All of that...really happened? I don't believe it. How come none of us knew about it?"

"What reason was there to tell you?" Kibito Kai said. "These warriors were thought to be extinct. We knew if we told you guys, you would try to master the Powers, and that is a very dangerous journey to embark on. We still need you guys to be alive. That was until Meiryu showed up."

"I see." Dominick paused for a second, then asked, "wait, what about the First Omniverse War?"

"Ah yes, that is easy to overlook. For a while before the Makara Age, there was a single planet that was flourishing, called Ucaeshin, and hosted about 80 percent of the Omniverse's intelligent population. The Kais at the time were worried because it seemed like a grand army was being raised. Then, suddenly, about 600 million years ago, the documentation of the history of the Omniverse came to a stop. No one knows what was going on during this time, so the later Kais called inferred that it was the First Omniverse War."

"Could it have been the Buus?" Dominick asked.

"No, the Buus didn't surface until after the Second War." The Kai responded.

"I see...I guess it makes more sense now." Dominick said. _But then did Mr. Rievere really betray the Makara Warriors? There are still questions I don't have answers to._

"Oh, before I forget." Kibito Kai added. "I found this lying on the ground by your bed while you were sleeping." He handed Dominick his sword.

 _There's no way. I left this at my house when I went searching for Dalton._ He took the sword. "How long was I out?"

"Just about 24 hours." The Kai told him.

"Ah, I need to get going, then." He said.

"Wait, you aren't fully recovered yet." The Kai stopped him. "We need to wait for Korin to grow more Senzus."

"Don't worry." Dominick assured him. "I know a guy that's been hoarding Senzus for four years just to prepare for a time like this." He then focused his energy. It was a lot more difficult than he was used to, but he figured he could perform a couple instant transmissions with the energy he had. Then he looked down at his sword. _I think Hotokira was right. I don't know anything about this sword. Both he and Dalton wield swords, as well. I had better take it with me from now on, just in case_.

"Be careful, Dominick. I'm getting a bad feeling about all of this."

Dominick nodded, then disappeared from the lookout.

* * *

Dominick knocked on the door to Josh's house and Josh answered it within two seconds. "Dominick, what's going on?" He asked. "Yesterday, I felt this massive power that made me feel so weak, like I had a really bad fever, then it was gone just like that."

"It's really hard to explain. I got caught in that power, and ended up draining my own just to stay alive, so I need a Senzu to recover it." Dominick told him.

"You're not going to fight that thing, are you?" Josh asked. "Can you really stand up to something like that?"

Dominick shook his head. "That's not the threat right now." He said. "The real threat is...myself."

Joshua wanted to ask what he meant by that, but decided it was better to leave it alone. "I'll go get a Senzu."

Dominick waited at the front door for a couple minutes while Josh went into his room and dug out a Senzu. While he was waiting, he tried concentrating his energy into his sword, but nothing happened. Josh came out of the house and dropped a Senzu in his hand. "You're a lifesaver." Dominick told him, just like every other time he received a Senzu from Josh.

"By the way, have you seen Martin since yesterday?" Josh asked. "I felt his power flux a lot yesterday as well, but it didn't seem like he was with you. And after a while, it started to dwindle away, and I haven't felt it since. I didn't get the feeling that he died, but I didn't get a good feeling from it either."

Dominick's mind instantly shot back to the dream that he'd had earlier. He saw Martin in the purple chains, and a sword being ran through his stomach. Dominick suddenly had an awful feeling in his gut. Could this be it? Was this when the dream became real? He tried to tell himself that it wouldn't happen, but his heart kept telling him that it was true. Feeling as if he would be sick, he murmured, "oh, no," and began flying with incredible speed toward Capsule Corp.


	36. The Rope Snaps

_Chapter XXXVI : The Rope Snaps_

Dominick stood in front of the rubble that was the back half of Capsule Corp. Chonie had returned home.

"Thirteen had asked me to leave the house for a while once he woke up, so I did. I trusted him. He looked really serious." Chonie told Dominick.

"Do you know what happened to Martin?" He asked her.

"I guess I was gone by the time he got back, so I don't know."

"Were you able to save the results of the scan?"

She shook her head. "But I remember what they read." She added. "It said everything was normal. I would know, because if they weren't normal, I wouldn't be able to decipher them."

"That's what I feared." Dominick said. "That means Thirteen really did betray us."

"No, that's impossible." He retorted. "I've known him for years now. He's not like that."

"You're defending the man that destroyed your house?"

"Something was wrong with him." She said, almost like she was pleading. "He wasn't the same. It had to be someone else. There has to be someone controlling him." She was on the verge of tears.

"Chonie…" Dominick started. "You love him, don't you?"

Suddenly, she became defensive. "So what if he's an Android?! At first, he was so distant and dreamy, and then I got to know him, and I saw the kind side of him, and I wanted to know more...I wanted to get him to reveal his problems to me, so I could fix them for him. He is just too precious...and so _cool._

Dominick just kept looking at her as she talked. _Sounds more like infatuation. But nonetheless, it doesn't change the fact that she doesn't want him to be like this._ "I never said anything was wrong with it. It's just all the more reason I have to save them. I have to save them all."

He rested his hand on his sword while her eyes lit up at his proclamation. "...Thank you."

"I think I have an idea of where they are." Dominick muttered to himself before turning around to take off.

"Wait." Chonie said. Dominick paused. "I'm sorry if I led you on. I just didn't want anyone to know how I felt about Thirteen. I was scared you guys would hate me."

Dominick's eyes just about rolled back far enough to look at his brain. _This woman…_ He turned around and put his hand gently on her head. "Don't worry. I'll save them all. I'll bring Thirteen back to you." Somehow, he couldn't look her in the eye when he said it. He wasn't lying to her...was he?" He ruffled his hand around in her hair, messing it all up. Before she could get angry, he had already taken off.

As he flew east, he her call, "Wait, you aren't allowed to do that, I'm basically a whole decade older than you!" He smiled.

* * *

Dalton sighed as he felt his power increase yet again. He would never get used to that feeling of cold and warmth at the same time.

"Stay here." Hotokira said to both Dalton and Thirteen. "I'll be back soon." He flew west into the outskirts of the nearby town.

Waiting behind a gas station for him was Hangyaku. "I am ready to hear some good news, Hotokira." He said.

The Black Sclera smiled. "I'll have him by the end of the day. All of the preparations have been made."

"You had better be right. I even went through the trouble of telling Dominick where you guys are." Hangyaku responded. "At least...he should be able to figure it out from the information in those dreams I induced."

"He isn't stupid."

"It's hard to believe this phase is almost over already. This is the day we've been planning for fourteen years now."

"Yes."

"Honestly, I've been really bored, with all of this waiting around. I just want to be able to fight already." Hangyaku murmured.

Hotokira was a little taken aback. This was a side of his creator that he had never seen before. He was used to the cold, calm, and collected atmosphere his master put off. Today was different. It was more eager. It was if Hangyaku was on the edge of his seat, acting almost naive, in a sense. _What's holding him back? If he wants to do this himself, he most definitely has the power to do so._

"You should return, then, if you have everything ready." Hangyaku said. "It shouldn't be too long before Dominick gets there."

Hotokira nodded and flew back into the desert where Dalton and Thirteen were watching over Martin. Upon landing, he noticed Martin's glaring eyes burning into him. "You're awake, I see."

Martin smirked. "We're sitting here waiting for nothing." He said. "I told Dominick that it was a trap and not to come after us."

Dalton laughed. "I'll say it again, you must have no idea who it is we're talking about. Dominick would be the first one out of any of us to spring an obvious trap." Thirteen nodded in agreement.

"He is coming." Hotokira said. Martin snarled and flexed his muscles while trying to break out of his confinements. "It's no use trying to break out."

"He's tried three times already." Dalton told him.

"Let him be. He can struggle all he wants." Hotokira replied. Suddenly, he drew his sword and slashed at the air, cutting an energy ball in half that had been fired from the sky.

"I knew you would be here." Dominick called. He saw Martin in the purple chains and grimaced. _It was real._

"I had faith you would be able to find us from the dream." Hotokira responded.

"So it _was_ you." Dominick said as he descended to the ground. "I've had enough of your games. I'm going to end this, once and for all."

"You're naive, Dominick." The Black Sclera responded. "For you to think you can best me is beyond childish."

"How can you say you're stronger than me? If we're the same person, we should be the same strength." Dominick retorted.

"It's not that simple, Dominick." Martin called from his chains. "He was created from someone else and put in your body, and he has his creator's power as well. I told you not to come..!"

"You mean...the Black Sclera is artificial?"

"That's right." Hotokira said. "And even if by some miracle you manage to defeat me, Hangyaku is much stronger than all of us here combined."

Dominick clicked his tongue. After some thought he finally spoke. "Regardless, I have to defeat you and save my friends and family."

"Save them? Please. They have been saved." Hotokira sneered. "What were the results of Thirteen's brain scan? They were normal, right?" He smiled. "The only thing I changed in them was the strength of their deepest desires. In other words, those desires already existed in them from the start. I simply helped them out by giving them a means to achieve that desire."

"You're lying!" Dominick yelled.

"Any changes you can see in your friends were made by themselves." Hotokira said. "You never had any true comrades. They hung around you because you helped them become powerful. I only offered more than what you did."

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Dominick screamed, his energy splashing out as he turned into a Super Saiyan 5.

Remaining completely unfazed, Hotokira added, "Unfortunately, I won't be the one you fight. You see, I have to be at peak strength if I want to get your body back." As if on cue, Dalton and Thirteen jumped between the two of them. "Remember not to kill him, you two. But don't hold back, either. He is likely stronger than both of you, so do be careful not to die. I will watch over our prisoner in the meantime."

"Please, Dalton, Thirteen, get out of the way. I have to kill him." Dominick said, half commanding and half pleading. "I don't want to hurt you guys."

"We no longer need your help, Dominick." Thirteen said. "This is the only path for us to take to reach our goals."

"He's manipulating you into thinking that, can't you see?!" Dominick cried. "HE'S EVIL! WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE GOOD SIDE!"

"YOU'RE THE EVIL ONE!" Dalton bellowed suddenly. "You killed our father, and you killed Sakumi's best friend. Hotokira has given me the means to protect those who are precious to me, which is something I never found on your side."

Dominick felt like his stomach was twisting after every word his brother spoke. To have his own brother berate him and tell him he was evil was more painful that he had thought. The two had been through so much together. They were separated once, and then found each other again as if it was the work of something bigger. It couldn't end like this. "What are you saying…" Dominick started again. "IT WAS HIM! IT WAS THE BLACK SCLERA! HE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OF THIS, SO TELL ME! TELL ME WHY YOU BETRAYED ME!"

"Woah, woah." Hotokira laughed. "Don't blame this on me. This whole time, I've just been struggling to get my own body." This was part of his manipulation. Everything he said was calculated. "If anything, I was the victim. You only used my power, and I got nothing in return. I'm just doing all of this so I can be an individual myself." His smile grew more sinister the more he spoke, and Dominick was the only one to see it. "And don't forget, my actions were only based in _your_ anger. You are responsible for Katsu's and your father's deaths."

Dominick's hatred toward Hotokira was being translated into energy. He began walking toward the four of them, his power rising with each step. As his power grew, he could feel the atmosphere around him growing hotter. He could feel the heat that he was giving off himself. "You...have manipulated my family for far too long. I will avenge my father...and save the rest of my family...by killing you here!"

Hotokira just smiled as Dominick grew closer. Thirteen stepped forward and got into a fighting stance, but Dalton stuck his sword out sideways in front of the android's throat before he could progress any further. Thirteen looked at him in confusion, but Dalton only glared straight ahead at his brother. "I will take him. Alone."

Hotokira shrugged his shoulders. "I don't care how you guys take him on. Just as long as I get his body back in the end."

"I wasn't asking for your permission." Dalton snapped. "I am grateful for the power you have granted me, but I am done working for you. Everything I have done until now has led me to this point. Once I am done here, I am taking Sakumi and we're running away together."

Hotokira was not surprised. "I guess I knew that already from the start. It matters not. We may have different goals, but defeating Dominick will benefit the both of us."

Dalton looked back at Hotokira as his body and his sword slowly grew red hot and flames began to escape. "No." He said. "I plan to kill him." Then he turned to Thirteen. "And if you try to interfere, I won't hesitate to kill you."

Thirteen looked back at Hotokira, and Hotokir returned a look that said, let it be.

Dalton lowered his sword and approached Dominick. Dominick instinctively drew his sword, and hated himself for doing so. Dalton's sword, already red hot, suddenly erupted in flames and his power began to rise extremely fast, and with it, the tension between the two.

Dalton pointed the tip of his sword at Dominick's face. "I have waited a long time for this."


	37. Dominick vs Dalton

_Chapter XXXVII : Dominick vs. Dalton_

"I don't want to fight you, Dalton."

"You should have thought about that before now." Dalton got into a wide stance, put his elbows a couple inches from his waist on either side, bent at ninety degrees with his fists facing forward and upward. He doubled over slightly and bent his knees. Something big was coming. He grit his teeth, and began glowing red from the fire around him. His power began rising faster than ever before as the wind picked up. The ground beneath him began to crack and crumble, and at the same time, the increasing amount of loose rocks began to levitate around him. The wind grew stronger and stronger, and before long, Dominick could feel himself having to fight being blown away. Dalton's power level was going dangerously high. Higher than it had ever gone before. It was several times stronger than his Super Saiyan 4 dragon mode, and he wasn't even using dragon mode. The strain of this powerup was so great, it in turn created a crater in the middle of the desert with Dalton as the center. And his power level did not stop rising.

"Dalton, stop this!" Dominick cried. "You'll kill yourself if you go any further!"

At that comment, Dalton laughed. That laugh turned into a long, extended yell as his hair began flashing golden. "You have no idea of the amount of power I have gained over these last few months." He said. Then, he threw his arms down and his head back and gave one final cry as a blinding golden light shone around him. Dominick shielded his eyes from both the whipping wind and the light.

"No way…" Dominick muttered to himself. "He just became a Super Saiyan 5 as well…"

As the dust cleared, the fact became apparent. It was like Dominick was looking into a mirror. The only difference between the two of them was that Dalton's face was a little rounder, his eyes a little sharper, and his body was more lean.

"This power feels incredible." Dalton said. "I can feel your death within my grasp."

 _Rightfully so._ Dominick thought to himself. _This power is much more than a normal Super Saiyan 5 should be sitting at. Is this what he got from the Black Sclera? He may even be stronger than I am without using his dragon mode._

"That may be a good thing for me, though." Dominick said hesitantly. "Now I don't have to worry about holding back." He told himself that, but he also knew that subconsciously, he would stop himself from using his full power. The dream scared him too much.

"Let's begin, then." Dalton concentrated his flames onto his blade.

Dominick reluctantly agreed. His blade gained a light blue goo-like aura that dripped up off of the back side of the sword. He was surprised to see it at first, but he was used to being surprised by things that his sword did.

When he looked back up Dalton was already lunging at him, his sword above his head positioned for a downward slash. Dominick blocked the strike and their swords locked, causing a shockwave from the point of impact. He could feel the heat from Dalton's blade on his face. His brother's teeth gritted harder as he pushed down on him. He really wasn't used to actually using the sword in battle. He mainly used it to concentrate his energy blasts. He forcefully tilted his blade and pushed Dalton's to the side. Dalton used the momentum to do a little spin and come again at Dominick's side. Dominick had no time to block this attack, so he dodged it with a backflip. The younger brother jumped back and the flames on his sword turned purple. Next thing he knew, a green energy blast formed at the tip engulfed in those purple flames. "Galactic Cannonball!" He shouted at the ball launched at his brother. Dominick slashed down and diagonal as hard as he could at the attack, cutting it in half. He lunged forward then twirled his sword once and slashed again from the same angle he had cut the attack with.

As they continued, Dominick was getting more and more used to fighting with the sword. However, he was still always on the defensive. Dalton had the upper hand because he had been consistently using his sword for eight years now, while Dominick had only received a little bit of training when he was younger. Neither of them had the clear advantage in brute strength, which was something Dominick was not used to. For the entire time he had been fighting alongside Dalton, he had the clear edge over his brother when it came to raw power in the base form. Dalton just had access to more forms and more techniques. It became not a battle of strength, but speed. Whoever could bypass the other's defenses would be the winner. In this sense, Dalton had a clear upper hand. The two were exchanging about five or six blows every second., making their blades look like blue and red blurs.

Dalton ducked under one of Dominick's horizontal swings. Before he even came back up, he was already starting his counterattack. It came up diagonally into Dominick's blind spot as his swing turned away from it. It sliced through Dominick's skin just above the knee, but he jumped back in time to minimize the damage. It still drew more blood than he would have liked. It would be a little difficult to lunge off of his right leg, now. So he used his left leg instead. He winded his sword back like he was going to make a swing for the kill, and Dalton prepared to block it. But the sword never came. Instead, Dominick used the windup as a feint and, with his injured leg, kicked his brother in the face. Dalton's body twisted from the impact. Dominick continued his momentum and spun all the way around, extending his sword to attack before he even finished spinning. The sword slashed shallowly across Dalton's back, causing him to shout in pain. The younger brother turned around and glared at his opponent. He came at Dominick with a flurry of slashes. The speed of his attacks was probably closer to eight per second now. It was too fast for Dominick to keep up. He eventually let himself be pushed back in order to keep dodging attacks. However, Dalton was relentless, his rage uncapped. Eventually, he caught Dominick's sword at a bad angle and forced it into the ground. Without hesitating, he reversed the direction of his blade and sliced upward and diagonally, creating a gash in Dominick that ran from one hip to the opposite shoulder. Dalton halted after he got a hit in. Dominick jumped back, clutching what he could of his wound.

"I have this fight won, Dominick." Dalton called out.

"What do you mean?" Dominick retorted. "You're sweating just as much as I am."

Dalton looked at himself. His brother was right. "It doesn't matter." He said. "I will still defeat you."

"I'm not…" Dominick muttered. Then his nostrils flared. "I'M NOT THE ONE WE HAVE TO DEFEAT!"

At that, Dalton started rising into the air. The flames around him started to become more and more intense. "No matter the cost...I have to protect Sakumi."

For the first time since Shihebi, Thirteen showed some sort of genuine emotion on his face. It was a mixture of surprise, fear, and anger. "No way. He can't be doing what I think he's doing. Is he trying to destroy the whole planet?"

Martin got a feeling of dread as he caught on to what Dalton was planning.

Dalton raised his sword completely vertically in the air and all of the flames around him concentrated into his sword. They became more and more intense until Dalton couldn't even see the actual blade any more. He smiled at this. "It's ready." He murmured to himself.

"Interesting." Hotokira said under his breath.

"DALTON, HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?" Dominick screamed. "YOU CAN'T DO THIS, YOU'LL CUT THE WHOLE PLANET IN HALF!"

Dalton ignored him. As he swung his sword down, he said the words, "Jigoku Seppen," and a huge wall of flames as tall as any building in the town next to them fell to the ground, and extended in length toward Dominick.

 _It's no use, I can't block something like that._ Dominick had no choice but to dodge, but the flames were coming at him much faster than he had anticipated. He instinctively put his sword out horizontally, and was able to temporarily stop the flames at his elevation, but found himself being singed from flames above and below him. He tilted his sword to redirect the flames to the right while he rolled to the left out of the way of the attack and watched his make its way away from the city. The wall extended well into the ocean before falling. Dominick escaped without being hurt, but it was more energy he had to spend defending himself. And how was he to take on the Black Sclera after this? Once the smoke cleared, the vast amount of steam coming from the ocean became apparent. Dominick looked below him at the giant crevice on the land that had been formed, and he could see a red glow from the bottom. It was magma.

Dalton wasted no time. He dove down at Dominick and knocked him into the ravine. The two clashed blades as they fell, tumbling and desperately trying to get the upper hand. It got hotter as they went further down. Eventually, Dominick got on top and abruptly stopped his decent. The lava was growing close. The walls seemed to liquefy before his eyes because of the heat.

Dalton held the sword close to his face. "I do well in the heat." He said.

"That doesn't surprise me." Dominick replied.

Dalton lunged at his brother again, but this time from below. Dominick was able to defend against the flurry of attacks. He couldn't tell if it was because he was getting better at using the sword, or if it was because Dalton was growing slower. His mind wasn't helping him in this searing heat. Dominick quickly shot an energy ball out of the tip of his sword, hit Dalton in the left shoulder. Grasping the point of impact with his sword hand, he slyly shot a counterattack back at his brother, hitting him in the abdomen. The force pushed Dominick back a little, and Dalton took this opportunity and rushed at him, shoving his back into the wall. The skin on Dominick's back was practically burned off as he screamed in pain. He had to find a way to get out of this heat. The moment Dalton relieved some of the pressure he was putting on Dominick, the older brother drove his knee into his opponent's chest. Dalton doubled over, and Dominick escaped and flew as fast as he could in the direction of the ocean. He knew Dalton was right behind him, but he just kept flying. Before long, water began raining down on either side of him. Then there was the steam. He just had to keep flying straight. Eventually, he felt water hit his back, then it was dark. He quickly turned around and found that was in an underground cave. The ground was likely hardened lava, but it was too dark to tell. His sword lit up more of the room than he thought it would. He did not have much time to wonder about the cave, though. Dalton appeared through the smoke and did not stop before launching another attack at Dominick. He slashed vertically and Dominick blocked by placing the sword horizontally above his head and reinforcing his with his other hand on the back of the blade. He leaned back and pushed up, causing Dalton to fly over the top of him. He then turned around and rushed at his brother, who stopped himself and did the same. Dominick put two hands on the hilt of his sword and laid down a hard strike at Dalton's sword, intentionally missing his body. He then let go with his right hand and fired another energy blast at his brother. This time, Dalton saw it coming. With his free hand, he hit it downward as hard as he could, sending it barreling through the ground. Its glow disappeared, being replaced by a fiery red one. Knowing what was about to happen, Dalton moved out of the way just in time before geyser of lava shot up from the hole. The cave was extremely unstable. Dalton rushed at Dominick once again and the two clashed blades for what felt like hours, but was only about two minutes. Despite their fatigue, they were both fighting at a much higher level than they were before. It was only at the end of this series of attacks and parries that Dalton was able to land a hit horizontally across Dominick's lower stomach. Dominick grunted in pain as he cupped his hand under the wound and watched as blood spilled into it.

One thing he had noticed during the fight was that the goo-like aura from his sword was shining brighter than Dalton's flames, which confused him. It made him wonder if he could make it shine even brighter. Now that he thought about it, there had been times when a mysterious light blinded his opponents, but didn't seem to affect him much. He didn't have much time to think about this, however. He was too busy fending off Dalton's ferocious, rage-filled attacks. It was almost like they were getting more frantic and sloppy as time went on, because Dominick found he was having an easier time avoiding them. He was also almost sure that Dalton's speed and power were diminishing at a speed far greater than normal in a battle. Dalton came in with a downward diagonal swing, and Dominick parried it. The blades locked, but Dominick's began sliding downward toward the guard. Dalton pulled back when he realized what was happening, but Dominick had seen through this move. Before Dalton could pull out of his brother's attack range, Dominick kicked the bottom of Dalton's wrist, trying to shatter it on impact. He did not know if the impact had broken his wrist or not, but it was enough to knock the sword out of Dalton's hands. "Shit!" He yelled as the sword fell behind him. He instinctively turned around to retrieve his weapon which was a mistake. Once his brother's back was turned on him, he clasped his hands together and brought them both down on Dalton's back, sending him flying into the ground.

Dominick turned around without thinking and flew through the water again, and upwards out of the ravine. The cool air felt more than refreshing. He took a deep breath and calmed his breathing. Finally, he had a little time to rest. He had been moving so fast for the whole fight, and he truly had no idea how long it had gone on for. It had felt like a whole day to him, but it was likely only ten minutes.

Then, his stomach dropped. He heard a deep rumbling coming from within the earth. Somewhere beyond where the crevice ended in the ocean, it seemed like a pit formed, as if the ocean floor had caved in. Then steam began to rise from the pit. The rumbling continued. He looked back at the city to see many buildings wobbling and swaying. The earth was trembling, and then out of nowhere, the pit in the ocean exploded outward, sending a mixture of boiling hot water, lava rock, and red hot magma in every direction. He flew backward toward the shore to avoid being hit by the falling debris. However, the earthquake and the explosion were not what his stomach dropped over.

Dalton had never left the cave before they happened.


	38. Mutiny

_Chapter XXXVIII : Mutiny_

It was January 15th, and Ichimei was getting ready to leave the house when she heard a knock on the door. Her first thought was that it was Dominick. To her surprise, it was actually Jishako and Nagashi. "Guys...I haven't seen you in forever." She gave a sad smile. She really wanted it to be Dominick.

"We dropped by a week or so after you were shot, and you were already fully recovered, but you said Dominick wouldn't be around for a while." Nagashi said. She remembered, now. They came over only a day after Dalton and Dominick had their scuffle, so Dominick was out looking for the Black Sclera. "But we felt that earthquake earlier, and we both had the feeling it had something to do with him."

"Yeah, I have that feeling too." She said. "I just haven't seen him since yesterday morning. That's why I was going to go look for him."

"What's wrong with him?" Jishako complained. "Leaving his girl home alone for days at a time…"

"No, I understand why he has to." She said. "He has to do this, or else he may never have peace within himself. I just want to be there for him in case anything goes wrong."

"I'm sorry Ichimei, but I can't let you go this time." A voice said.

"Huh?"

"The situation now is much worse than it was a couple of months ago." Josh made his way between Jishako and Nagashi, both of whom were almost a foot taller than him.

"What do you know, shorty?" Jishako called him out. He did not like Josh. "She just wants to see her boyfriend."

Nagashi flicked his friend's forehead. "Idiot, I think Josh knows what he's talking about. He's been in that business before." Then he looked at Ichimei. "Dominick would never forgive himself if you got hurt. And I don't know a lot about how the Dragon Balls work, but I'm pretty sure if you die again, there's no coming back."

Her face became more determined. "I won't die." She said. "It's the Black Sclera that Dominick's fighting right now, and the Black Sclera won't kill me. He had the chance last time I was there, but he couldn't do it."

The three boys all stared at her, surprised. Then, Josh got serious again. "No, I'm saying you could get killed by accident. You couldn't feel it yesterday, but there was a grand power that made me sick to my stomach from miles away. If someone with no defense against that kind of power even got close, they would most likely…" They all knew the answer. Even if they wouldn't die, that much power would definitely have real, physical consequences.

"I'm still going." Ichimei declared.

"You don't understand, we won't be able to do anything! If we show up, Dominick won't even be able to fight at full strength! The best thing we can do right now is-" He suddenly looked up at the sky. "Not again...the planet may really be in trouble at this rate."

As they all followed his eyes, they saw a massive wall of flames rising in the east and it was extended south. It didn't get very far before it dissipated. _That was Dalton's power! Why are Dominick's and Dalton's energies the only ones that are elevated right now?_ Josh thought to himself.

"You know who's responsible for that, don't you?" Ichimei said. "Tell me. Your face is telling me you know."

Nagashi patted Josh on the back out of pity. At this point, he was wrapped around Ichimei's finger. "It was Dalton."

Nagashi and Jishako both almost jumped back. "Dalton?!" Jishako exclaimed. "I thought he was on our side. He's trying to destroy the planet?"

"Dalton isn't stupid." Nagashi said. "He wouldn't use an attack like that knowing it would harm people. What's happened to him?"

"Well, your guess is as good as mine. You're probably as smart as the three of us here combined." Josh replied.

"Three months ago," Ichimei started, "was the last time I've seen Dalton. He and Dominick got into a fight at our house, and then we were at the lookout, and Dalton said something about choosing the 'path of power'. Apparently, Dominick hadn't seen him since, because he spent the next three months searching with no luck. The situation hadn't changed before he left yesterday."

Josh shook his head and set it into his palm. "That must have been quite the fight, then. Those two aren't holding back anything right now. It's likely they're fighting to the death."

* * *

That wasn't the way Dalton had died in the dream. _He can't be dead then, right?_ Dominick tried looking back at the other three to see if their facial expressions showed anything, but they were too far away to be able to tell what exactly was going on. "FUCK!" Dominick was just about to fly into the source of the explosion when he saw a jet of steam shoot out from the ravine. It stopped about 20 meters in front of him. Dalton was standing behind the steam, his face bloody and his right arm scarred and burnt.

"Look what happened to my arm." He said. "It's all burnt, I can't even feel it anymore."

Dominick was relieved, but held himself together nonetheless. "Give up, Dalton. Please."

"It doesn't matter though. My fucking sword got swallowed by the lava."

"Alright…" Dominick threw his sword on the ground. "No more swords, then." This was good for him. In his dream, Dalton was ran through by his sword. But if he wasn't using it, he could change that.

"I can still beat you with without my right arm."

"If you're looking for sympathy, you won't get it from me." Dominick said. "I don't want to be fighting you, so I want to knock you out as soon as possible."

"Don't make a fool out of me!" Dalton shouted, charging at his brother. Both of them were undeniably tired. Dalton swung at Dominick with his left hand. Dominick jumped back out of the way. Dalton followed with two consecutive kicks; the first one missed, and the second one hit him square in the nose, causing more than a couple drops of blood. Dominick reacted with by grabbing Dalton's foot and slamming him into the ground. He went down on his burnt shoulder, causing him to scream in pain. Without thinking, the younger brother sat up and raised his right arm, willing flames from his palm at his brother. Dominick dodged just barely, and Dalton had surprised himself. Dominick allowed his opponent to stand up, and the two did not move for at least a full minute. Wind blew lighty from the ocean shore and hit Dalton's right, and Dominick's left. Then, the two of them were exchanging blows again. Dominick had the clear upper hand this time, but it wasn't enough for him to end it. The longer they fought, the more energy he drained, and the more impossible it would be to defeat the other two. Dominick began to push Dalton back. As they sent flurries of punches and kicks at each other, dodging what they could, they slowly retreated inland toward the other three. Before long, they came into view. None of them had moved since they went underground. As the brothers continued to exchange blows, the power behind their attacks did not decrease, but became more desperate. They were slower, but they hit harder. They had slowed to only about one or two hits every second. Their defenses, on the other hand, they had pretty much abandoned. Nearly every attack hit its mark. Both of their energies decreased more and more with each attack.

Eventually, Dalton leaped backward. Panting as blood dripped down both of their faces, they stood still once more. The one to retreat was the one to resume motion again. "I was surprised that I could shoot fire out of my burnt hand." He said. "And that gave me an idea. Maybe I don't need that sword to finish you off, after all."

"What do you mean?"

Dalton winced as he raised his right hand vertically into the air. He then began to float into the air, slowly rising as Dominick watched. After a break from throwing punches and kicks, the older brother's breathing calmed. He felt a warm wind coming from his younger brother. As Dalton's right arm remained upright, it burst into flames. He turned his head, squeezed his eyes shut, and gritted his teeth as his already scorched arm was subjected to even more flames. "I...didn't...think it would hurt...this much…" He muttered to himself.

Dominick's eyes widened. "How can he have that much energy left?" He breathed.

Martin shouted, "Dalton, you can't! If you fire another one, you really will destroy the planet!"

Thirteen's fist simply clenched in place.

As Dalton's arm became less and less visible behind the flames, he began to yell out in pain. "Hurry...HURRY UP!" He cried out at no one in particular. Gritting his teeth, he resisted the urge to just extinguish the flames, until his eyes snapped open. "NOW! JIGOKU SEPPEN!"

Dominick was going to dodge again, but he noticed that this one was pointed south. There was no ocean to act as a safety net this time. It had a real chance of hitting a town. That is, if the world didn't fall apart from the pressure, first. He had to take this one head on. The wall of flames extended down out of Dalton's arm, and straight at him. He had little time to think about how he was going to stop the flames. Luckily for him, this attack had only a fraction of the power the last one had. However, flames were different than pure energy. There was no way he could stop them with his bare hands. Then he got an idea. He didn't have much energy to spend, but he didn't have much of a choice. _Ka...me...ha…_ The familiar blue energy ball formed in his hands. _Me...HAAA!_ His energy blast stopped the flames in their tracks, but only for a second. Inevitably, the fire began creeping around all sides of Dominick's attack. It was no use. There was no good way to defend against this attack, and his power was draining fast.

Dalton writhed in pain as the flames kept coming from his arm. _Why aren't they going anywhere?! Did he actually stop the attack?!_ His energy was running out, and he could tell Dominick's was too. He wanted to give up. The pain in his arm was too much.

Just then, Thirteen appeared behind Dalton in his transformed form and roundhouse kicked him in the neck. Dalton lost control of his attack and the flames dissipated. Dominick abruptly stopped his _kamehameha_ as well.

Dalton flipped over a couple times in midair, but managed to stop himself. With enraged eyes, he glared at the Android. "What did I tell you about interfering, Thirteen?" He growled.

Thirteen looked down at Dalton with disappointed eyes. "Listen to me. Cleaning the earth of its scum is one thing, but destroying the whole planet is the farthest thing from bringing peace."

"Oh, and what do you know of peace?" Dalton replied. "Just look at the form you're taking right now. You seem to resemble the same guy that wanted to destroy the planet only six years ago. You're basically the same person now, aren't you though?"

"Do not compare me to that trash." Thirteen snarled through gritted teeth. "I simply have done what I must to gain power in order to achieve peace."

"So that makes us the same, then."

Thirteen clenched his fists, and something inside him snapped. He shouted in rage. "AAAAAAAGHH!" Spikes sprouted out of him that were strikingly similar to those that Molecule had. "THAT'S IT! I'VE GIVEN YOU TOO MANY CHANCES!" Dalton was startled and jumped back. The Android charged at him with lightning speed. Dalton was caught off guard, but it wasn't like being wary would have saved him, either. With his fatigue, the android was actually stronger than him. Not to mention, he wasn't used to Thirteen losing his cool like this. In fact, he'd never seen it happen. Before he knew it, the android was already behind him. He pounded Dalton's head downward with his fists, sending him flying to the ground. However, before he hit the ground, Thirteen dove down quicker than his opponent was falling, and put a foot in his back, once again sending him further away from the shore.

Dominick tried to fly over to stop the fight, but he knew there was nothing he could do. He couldn't even fly straight, either. He had really expended more energy than he thought while using the _kamehameha._

Thirteen kicked Dalton into the sand of the desert. He kicked him in the stomach again. Dalton coughed up blood all over Thirteen's pant leg. The Android started repeatedly punching Dalton in the face.

"Thirteen, stop it now!" Dominick yelled as he made his way over to the two of them.

Martin chimed in. "He's had it already! You'll really kill him!"

The android ignored both of their pleas and continued his beating on Dalton. The kid had already reverted back into his base form a while back. He had no way to defend himself now. If this didn't stop then he really would die.

But suddenly, a quick, thin bar of light beamed over to Thirteen and exploded upon impact with his right shoulder. A severed arm with an assortment of wires flew out of the explosion. Thirteen winced in pain as he clutched the exposed innards at his shoulder. "Who-" His eyes widened at the sight of Hotokira, with his left index finger extended outward and smoking.

"I was right in labeling you as the most dangerous, Thirteen." He said. "No hard feelings, though. It just looked like you were going to kill Dalton." He smiled. "And if I had to choose between you and Dalton, I'd choose the latter every time."

The android's blackened eyes filled with rage. "YOU BASTARD!" He turned away from Dalton, and charged toward Hotokira.

"How unfortunate." The Black Sclera said under his breath. Hotokira shot another blast, but this time with his whole palm. The blast penetrated and fully impaled the android's abdomen. He stopped in his tracks and looked down at the hole in his stomach, his face contorted in pain, then his expression dropped as a thin puff of smoke escaped from his mouth. Then, his limp body fell to the floor.


	39. Brotherhood

_Chapter XXXIX : Brotherhood_

Martin turned into a Super Saiyan 5. He yanked, twisted, and did everything he could think of to break free of his chains. He screamed in rage as Thirteen's body steamed on the ground. "THIRTEEN!" He cried. Then he directed his rage at Hotokira. "I'LL KILL YOU! YOU BASTARD, I'LL MAKE YOU FUCKIN' PAY!" The chains didn't budge.

Hotokira shook his head. "You fool. If I wouldn't have ended it there, he would have killed all of you, and possibly even threatened my life." Martin still twisted vigorously in his chains. "Nonetheless, I still regret that it had to end this way. I actually enjoyed that android's presence."

Dominick flew past Thirteen and or to where Dalton was. His face was so bloody. And his right arm was virtually completely black, as if it had completely turned to charcoal. He was still conscious. "Dalton, it's me." Dominick said. "It's over. We'll get you out of here once Martin and I defeat the Black Sclera."

Dalton couldn't see at all. He only recognized Dominick's voice. "You bastard...get away from me." He mumbled, meekly pushing his brother away from him.

"You're still...going to do this?"

Dalton looked up at the sky as if he were about to cry. "I...hate you." Then he began coughing up blood, and Dominick felt his energy draining.

"Hate me all you want, but I won't be able to face Mom again if you die." Dominick isreplied. He placed his hand gently on his brother's chest and transferred some of his energy to him. It was just enough to stabilize his life force.

"I don't need...your pity." Dalton grumbled.

"Don't talk." Dominick said curtly. "How's Sakumi going to react if you die here?"

Dalton didn't have a rebuttal to that one. Dominick struggled to get back on his feet, and then left him in the small crater that Thirteen had created around him. As Dominick walked away, he silently cried in frustration.

Dominick then faced Hotokira. He was in big trouble if he did figure something out. He had to find some way to stall, but he didn't have much time because Dalton wouldn't last much longer on the meager amount of energy he had. At the very least, he was still able to maintain his Super Saiyan 5 form. To him, it felt like a normal Super Saiyan.

Hotokira returned his gaze. "I guess the job was pretty much done." He said. "Thirteen's interference wasn't such a bad thing after all."

"Every word you say...pisses me off more and more." Dominick muttered. "You've come into our lives, completely screwed with all of us, and you write it off as something so nonchalant? If you think I'll let you take my body and fuck around with it some more, you're dead wrong. I'll be dead before that happens!" He shouted, finding the will to run at his own image.

"You fool." Hotokira smiled. "I told you before, acting like this is just childish. But, I won't stop you. You're only making this easier on me. Your rage is making you blind to the reality that I only need to knock you out and your body is as good as mine."

"I just have to stay conscious then!" Dominick yelled.

"In that physical state? Please." Hotokira then rushed over to his opponent, trying solely to deliver a finishing blow. He wanted to conserve as much energy as possible.

Dominick smirked when he saw Hotokira lunge at him. _He took the bait._ He instant transmissioned right before the Black Sclera could hit him and appear behind Martin. He had a whole plan thought out. He would quickly blast the ground where Martin's chains were stuck, allowing him to move freely. With his remaining energy, he would again use instant transmission, and go to Josh's house, where he would get plenty of Senzus for everyone. He would eat one there so he would have enough energy to come back.

Martin looked back at him. "What are you doing?" He frantically asked.

"Brace yourself." Dominick said through gritted teeth before charging up some energy in his hand and firing at the ground.

However, a hand appeared in his vision and flicked his energy blast to the wayside. The Black Sclera had appeared between him and Martin. "I know what you were going for." Hotokira said. "But you missed two keys elements that make your plan impossible." He then stuck his index finger up. "One: the boy's chains aren't something that can just be freed from the ground, or else he would have ripped them out of the ground long ago." Then he lifted his middle finger to join his index finger. "Two: if you can use the Instant Transmission technique, who else do you think can use it?"

Dominick jumped back in a panic. Of course the Black Sclera could do Instant Transmission. He had access to every technique that Dominick could use. But he was not limited to those techniques, as shown by the chains and Dalton and Thirteen's manipulation.

"Dominick, get out of here now!" Martin shouted.

The sound rang in Dominick's ears before it registered in his mind, but by that time it was already too late. Hotokira hit him in the side of the face with a closed-fist backhand. He went flying away from Martin.

Dalton wiped the blood and tears from his eyes to see Dominick skidding on the ground next to him. He saw his turned turned back brown and his red fur retract into his body. He was struggling to get back up at Hotokira approached. Dalton somehow managed to sit up, then slowly make his way onto his knees, and then shakily onto his feet.

"Dalton...what are you doing?" Dominick managed. "Stay down."

"Shut up." Dalton responded. It almost seemed at the two of them were in alliance, and he hated that. But he barely even had the will to fight anymore. Blood still ran down his face and soaked his clothes. His right arm was cracking in several places and seemed like his had chunks missing.

Dominick's pants were almost torn to shreds and his shirt was completely gone. He had two deep gashes along his torso and one in his right leg. Blood dripped down from his forehead, forcing him to close one eye. His back was absolutely covered in severe burns. Blood was also splattered all over his chin as a result of coughing.

Hotokira suddenly stopped. "None of you guys ever stay down, do you?" He frowned and flipped the sword to a backward position in his hand. "This did the trick earlier, though."

Martin, who was keeping an eye on the Black Sclera, knew exactly what that movement meant. He began violently thrashing in his chains again. "GUYS, GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE! RUN NOW!"

Dominick glanced at Martin. _I would move if I could, but my body no longer seems to be responding to me..._

"I told you this earlier, Dominick but I know a lot more about your sword than you do." Hotokira said calmly. "There are many attacks that I have learn to use, but you haven't." His sword began to glow a dense, bright white."

Dalton looked at the blade, and up at Hotokira's face. He could see his father's limp body falling to the floor. He could see Katsu's limp body falling to the floor. He could even see Sakumi's and his mother's bodies hitting the ground. His eyes caught on fire and his body began to glow a slight blue color. Then, his body burst into blue flames. "DOMINICK! I'LL KILL YOU!" But his declaration was aimed at Hotokira. Hotokira ignored it raised his sword above his head.

Dominick looked to his side at Dalton in awe. _How does he have any power at all left for him to be able to do this? And the flames...they're blue. What could this mean-_ Suddenly, he connected the dots. It was life energy. In his rage, Dalton subconsciously started using his own life energy to fuel his flames. "Dalton, calm down!" He pleaded. "You're going to die if you don't put those flames out! You're consuming your life energy!"

"You might not want to take your eyes off of your opponent." Hotokira said. Dominick snapped his head back to the front. "It's too late now, though."

Dalton charged at the Black Sclera, but the sword was already released from his hand, flying like a beam of light at Dominick. As soon as Dominick saw the mirror image of himself without the sword in his hand, he knew it was already over. It wasn't like he would have been able to dodge, anyway. _I failed._

But he didn't feel a sword enter his body. _What stopped it, though?_ His body filled with dread at the sight before him. _Why? I did everything I could to keep it from happening...so why did that dream have to come true?_

Dalton was lying on the ground with Hotokira's sword completely impaling his obliques. He had rushed toward the Black Sclera, but suddenly made a hard left and the sword ran him through from the right side.

"DALTON!" Dominick screamed, and ran to his brother. "What the hell is wrong with you? Why did you do that?!" He cried as he turned him onto his back.

Dalton looked up at him with glazed eyes. "Why...did I do that?" He repeated. "I don't know...my body...just moved...on its own...I don't know...what happened…"

"That's so...stupid…"

"Shut up…" Dalton managed. "I don't...want your pity...after everything I've done." He began coughing weakly. "Mom...is going to be really...disappointed...isn't she? Sakumi too… I wasn't...strong enough."

"You were going through all this alone…" Dominick murmured

"Take...take this thing...out of me." Dalton looked at the sword when he said it. Dominick gently clasped the handle and pulled the sword out from his brother's side. As the sword to less and less space of the entry wound, blood took its place. It began gushing out when it was fully removed.

Dalton groaned. "I'm so dizzy...it's so hard...to stay awake…" It was hard to tell that he had started crying. "I really wished...it wasn't you...that killed father...and Katsu. I wanted to trust you so badly…"

"I'm sorry...if I would have noticed and gotten rid of the Black Sclera sooner, none of this wouldn't have had to happen." Dominick said.

"Was it really...the Black Sclera?" Dalton asked. Dominick nodded his head. "Even Katsu?" He nodded again. "Somehow...I can trust you more easily now...I don't know...if it's because I'm dying, or…"

"The Black Sclera probably has relinquished his hold on you because he knows you're…"

Dalton covered his eyes. "I don't want to die...it feels like I just fell in love with Sakumi…"

"It's okay." Dominick said. "I'll...beat him. I'll find the Dragon Balls and bring you back."

"I see...that's good. I'll have...a chance...at redemption..." Dalton managed. "I really...hope...everyone...can forgive…." His head fell back and his hair brushed the ground, and his arms fell limp at his sides. Dominick lowered his head.

A golden glow enveloped Martin as he screamed and trashed in his chains. "YOU BASTARD! YOU'VE KILLED TWO OF MY BEST FRIENDS!" As the ground crumbled around him, his eyes began to glow golden as well. Suddenly, the chains began to crack, showing a bright white light emanating from underneath. His clothes billowed from the air he was generating, and his muscles bulged as the chains finally shattered. Dominick looked up in awe. He had never seen this power from Martin before. Even Hotokira looked surprised. Martin's glowing eyes glared at the Black Sclera. "I will have my revenge."


	40. The Blame

_Chapter XL : The Blame_

Dalton's body faded away in Dominick's arms. He immediately knew that it was Dende bringing him to King Yemma. In a way, Dominick was jealous. Dalton would likely receive special training from Kibito Kai on his world, or get to train on Grand Kai's world. That was one place that he really wanted to visit at least once. "I'll see you soon." He said, smiling. "Now, I have to help Martin resolve this for good." Then he looked over at the two of them.

"You'll take your revenge?" Hotokira laughed. "Do you remember what happened last time?"

"This is completely different than last time."

Hotokira then looked over at where Dalton's body was and shook his head. "What an idiot...I wasn't even aiming for a vital area."

"Forget it." Martin said. "I won't stand around like this any longer!" He lunged at Hotokira.

The Black Sclera jumped back and grabbed at his belt for his sword, but only felt the air in its place. He looked down to see if he'd missed the hilt, but then realized his mistake. Dominick had it in his hands, and now Hotokira was left without a weapon. Before he could even look forward again, Martin's fist was already digging into his face. He fell straight to the ground and skidded over 20 meters. _What force._ He thought to himself as he was getting back up. Martin was already upon him again. He caught the next punch. He could feel the energy coming from Martin's eyes alone. He couldn't even see the irises or pupils, but only the shining golden sclera. The contrast of the color of their sclerae was almost symbolic.

"Isn't this something..?" Hotokira said, wiping the blood from his face with his free hand. "To think that through your rage, you've become even stronger than Android Thirteen."

"Don't you dare say his name."

As if Martin hadn't said a word, Hotokira continued with his thoughts. "Yours is a type of rage that I can't take advantage of, however; anger at a specific event as opposed to a hatred that grows over time."

"I don't care!" Martin took his free hand and released an energy blast at Hotokira's face at point blank range. It hit its target and exploded on impact. The two separated and Hotokira fell to the floor again.

Dominick looked on in awe. He could still barely move his body. But maybe Martin didn't need his help after all. He seemed to have the upper hand.

Martin suddenly looked at Dominick urgently. "Dominick, hurry! Use your instant transmission and get out of here! You have to recover your strength! I can handle this!"

Dominick stood confused for a little bit, but Martin's message suddenly hit him and he tried focusing his energy to perform the technique. By the time he could even visualize a destination, Hotokira appeared behind him using the same technique he planned to use. "I don't think so." He said. "You guys keep trying the same thing and expecting different results. There's no helping you." Dominick filled with anger at the sight of Hotokira. With all of his strength, he swung his face at his face, but it was completely brushed aside. "I really can't have you going anywhere." With that, he went back to where Martin was.

Dominick fell back on his rear. "Sorry, Martin." He muttered. "Even if I wouldn't have been stopped by him, I don't think I would have had the strength to pull it off anyway."

"I'm impressed, Martin." Hotokira said. "I really may have trouble taking care of you."

Martin charged at the Black Sclera again, but this time Hotokira raised his sword in defense. Dominick, who was still watching intently, immediately noticed the sword from his own hand was gone. Somehow, Hotokira had reclaimed his sword when he stopped Dominick from using Instant Transmission. Martin hesitated for just an instant, but that was enough time for Hotokira to pass by his defenses. He slashed up and diagonal and barely pierced the skin. The sword was glowing a hot white and left the skin charred where the blade made contact. Martin yelled out in pain, but forced the pain down. He didn't have time to feel pain. The Black Sclera was too fast and too strong. He bounced back with a quick roundhouse kick aimed at the neck. Hotokira blocked it, but as soon as Martin saw his attack didn't land, he pulled back and punched his opponent hard in the gut. Hotokira spit up a bit of blood, but recovered quickly and returned the favor with an even harder punch to the gut. Martin had to use nearly all of his willpower not to fall onto his knees. It seemed like Hotokira was getting stronger as they fought.

The two continued exchanging blows at an even faster rate than Dominick and Dalton were at their peak. Martin lost the upper hand once Hotokira regained his weapon. He kept having to jump back every time Hotokira attacked with his sword, and he rarely had any opportunities to attack. However, when was able to attack, it always hit hard. He kept his defense sharp as well. Even though Hotokira was mainly the one doing the attacking, he wasn't able to land many good hits.

The Black Sclera slashed downward and Martin dodged to the left. Then, with his right hand, he landed a hard uppercut to Hotokira's chin. He followed all the way through, causing his opponent's feet to completely leave the ground. Hotokira carried his momentum into a backflip. He then positioned his glowing white blade to get ready to stab. Seeing this, Martin moved to dodge. He jumped backward, which was a mistake. The Black Sclera used Instant Transmission to teleport behind him and attacked without warning. This time, a hand suddenly grabbed Hotokira's wrist, stopping the blade before it could touch Martin.

"You must have thought I died, Hotokira. It seems your control on me has been relinquished." The hand belonged to Thirteen.

* * *

Josh sat alone and defeated at the steps of Dominick's house. He still couldn't even stand up to Ichimei. She was just too...determined. What he felt for her wasn't love, or at least he didn't think it was. Those feelings would be a sign of disrespect for his friend. He did feel a form of admiration, however. He held more respect for her than he held for himself. At times like these, she would disregard her own safety just to be with Dominick. And it was the same with Jishako and Nagashi. They didn't understand the scope of the danger at hand. That's why they went. That's why they weren't terrified like he was. They didn't feel the massive power level spike that made him sick. Their bodies would likely disintegrate if they experienced something like that up close. He was no exception. Even though he had the ability to sense power levels, fly, and some martial arts training, he was still human. His body simply wasn't strong enough. And knowing that fact was what scared him. And that is why he couldn't act.

 _...I'm so pathetic. If I had brought Senzus...maybe Dalton and Thirteen wouldn't have had to die._

Ichimei, Nagashi, and Jishako ran toward where they saw the flame from earlier. Dominick and Ichimei lived a couple miles into the city, so it would take them at least 20 minutes to get to the scene of the battle.

"I haven't felt any rumbling for a while now." Nagashi said.

"Do you think they stopped fighting?" Jishako asked. "I hope they did. I don't really want to get caught up in whatever they're doing."

Ichimei ran in front of the two boys. "I don't know. I'm still getting a weird feeling."

"Like what?" Jishako pried. "You seem to always get weird feelings, but we never know what they mean."

"It's like this tingling, aching feeling in my lower back." She replied. "It was always that same feeling when I saw Dominick's Black Sclera."

"This 'Black Sclera' thing has been around for a while, hasn't it?" Nagashi asked her.

"Six years." She said. "Only one year after I met him."

"Oh, yeah, we met you all those years ago." Jishako chuckled. "I can't believe it took you two three whole years to start dating."

Ichimei nodded her head. The two boys could tell she was scared. They were scared too, but they tried to hide it for her sake. "He'll be alright." Nagashi assured her. "He's Dominick. He always comes back."

"I feel like this is my fault." Ichimei said after a while. "I'm pretty sure I'm the one responsible for releasing the Black Sclera into the world. This pain that Dominick has to go through right now...it's all my fault."

Neither of the boys responded. What were they supposed to tell her? That it wasn't her fault? How were they supposed to know? They weren't there when it happened. If they tried to console her now, it would just be empty. "Let's hurry." They both said.

* * *

"Thirteen?" Martin stammered. "How...did you survive?"

Hotokira looked at the android that was gripping his wrist. "I would like an answer to that, too." He said. "Even your wounds seem to be healed."

Thirteen smiled at Martin. He was in his transformed state, and still had the grey skin and black streaks, but it seemed life had returned to his face. "I absorbed Molecule, along with all of his powers and techniques. Looks like that includes the ability to regenerate, as well."

Hotokira laughed. "You guys keep surprising me." He ripped his arm from Thirteen's grasp. "However, you think that these surprises may change your fate, and that's where you are wrong. You see, Thirteen, I never actually gave you and Dalton any real power. I only lowered your barriers to your hate. Your power came from within. Now, it seems like you've rebuilt those barriers. You have nowhere near the level of power you had just moments ago."

"I may be holding back much of the hatred I released earlier, but I did learn one valuable thing from being in your control." Thirteen said. "I can now take advantage of _all_ of Molecule's power within me. I know what it feels like now, and I know I can handle it." With that, the android let it all out, like he said he could. A golden aura spiraled around as he threw his head back and let out a long, drawn out yell. His body didn't change this time, aside from him slightly bulking up. It was still Thirteen. Martin was so relieved.

"Thirteen…" He said, smiling. "It's been so long since we fought together like this."

"I apologize for that." He replied. "I've been very distant lately."

"It's alright. For now, we have to focus on getting that sword out of his hands. It's been giving me more trouble than anything else." Martin told him.

Hotokira shook his head. "I'm standing right here." He said. "Whatever. I'm done going easy on you. I really need to get this done." He jumped back and pointed his sword directly at them. Suddenly, purple clouds started to swirl around him. A purple-ish lightning shot from the tip of the sword at both Thirteen and Martin. Both dodged it, but just barely. They took no time to hesitate. Martin lunged in first. He acted like was going for a punch to the face, but flipped up into the air at the last second. Thirteen was right behind him with the actual attack. He threw a hard swing, but Hotokira leaned back and dodged it. The android continued with his momentum, flipping forward while also rotating on a vertical axis. With his feet in the air and his back to his opponent, he whipped his tail at Hotokira's neck. The Black Sclera completely read the attack. That, or he was just fast enough to see it coming and react. He sliced his white-hot sword through Thirteen's tail. The android cursed in pain and jumped away.

He didn't notice, however, that Martin was now right behind him. He felt his power level and turned around, but Martin's punch landed right on the face. Feeling daring, Martin went for another blow. This one was caught a couple of inches in front of his face. Martin had thought the shock from behind punched would give him at least a split second window to land another blow, but he was wrong. He still tried to keep his force moving forward, trying to be above his opponent and therefore have the advantage, but the Black Sclera smiled as his started pushing back with relative ease. Martin gritted his teeth and push harder, but to no avail. Before he knew it, he had to bring one foot back to keep himself from falling onto his back. Gripping his hand harder, Hotokira positioned his sword backward in his hand and raised it in the air, aiming to stab Martin in the throat. The sword started bubbling that light blue goo-like aura more than ever, as if his was thirsty for blood. Suddenly, an energy blast shot by right in between Martin and Hotokira and made contact with the blade. It exploded on impact, sending Hotokira flying backward, Martin into the ground, and causing the blade to shatter.

Hotokira flipped over backward to land on his feet while Thirteen ran over to help Martin up. "Way to go…" Martin managed. Thirteen nodded. They had no time to be proud of themselves. The android's tail was taking too long to regenerate. He took some irreversible damage to his wiring after he attacked Dalton, and that was something he couldn't heal on his own. He could only heal flesh. He still packed all the same punch as before, but his stamina was now greatly reduced.

Martin wasn't in a good position, either. He'd already taken multiple slashes from Hotokira's blade, and he hit the ground really hard in that last blast. It was unmistakably harder for him to land a hit on Hotokira than it was before. His only conclusion was that his opponent had been messing with him earlier, and had raised his power level to deal with two opponents. That seemed strange, however. The Black Sclera wanted nothing more than to get the fight over with and taking Dominick's body back, so why would he hold back at all?

"The surprises keep coming." He said. "Even without my sword, the result of this fight will not change."

They still couldn't get used to seeing a mirror image of Dominick talk like that. They looked exactly the same, only his hair, his saiyan fur, and his sclera were all black. They couldn't get used to this mirror image of Dominick radiating all of this evil.

"You bastard." Martin said. "You were holding back on me earlier. Don't you dare mock me."

"Holding back?" Hotokira scoffed. "I've honestly done no such thing."

"Don't lie to me." Martin retorted.

"It's quite the opposite, actually. You're the one who has gotten slower and weaker."

"Don't lie to me!" Martin repeated.

"In case you haven't noticed, your eyes stopped glowing around when the android came back." Dominick overheard this. He was right. Martin looked like he'd gone back to normal. "That's right. For me, this battle is as good as won."


	41. The Blindness Reveals

_Chapter XLI : The Blindness Reveals_

Hotokira surrounded himself in the purple aura that was telling of the power that was given to him by Hangyaku. "I'll end this now." He said. "Don't worry. I'll make it quick. You won't feel too much pain."

Thirteen and Martin charged the Black Sclera together. Thirteen got there first this time. He launched a flurry of kicks from above while Martin approached from the side and began attacking from a lower position. Hotokira was blocking and evading them both. Then, he elbowed Martin in the nose and punched Thirteen in the abdomen. He jumped up into the air, far above anyone else. He hovered at about the height of the skyscrapers in town. He raised one palm in the air and a purple energy ball formed above it with tendrils of smoke the same color as the chains before rising from it. His irises also flashed purple for a split second. The ball expanded into the shape of a cloud with purple lightning bolts extending from it, as if trying to escape. When he released the attack, it was as if it all came down at once in one massive lightning bolt.

Martin and Thirteen were already preparing for the attack. They both recognized the huge threat that it was. Martin used his ancestor's signature finishing attack which had been passed down to him. He pointed both his palms at the Black Sclera with his fingers curled and both his thumbs facing up. _"FINAL FLASH!"_ Electricity surrounded and flashed around him as the blast exploded toward his opponent.

Thirteen had the same idea. He positioned his hands adjacent to each other with his fingers spread out and slightly tilted inward. A green energy blast form at the front of his hands. _"ATOM BREAKER!"_ The blasts met in midair and made a giant disk swirling with green, purple, and yellow energy.

"Atom Breaker?" Martin asked, strained from holding his attack. "Since when did you have an attack like that?"

"I've been training for the last four years." He replied. "I didn't get the chance to use it against Shihebi."

"It's really something."

"You're really something, Martin." The android said. "You've grown so much in just the ten years we've known each other. You were such a scrawny kid when Chonie first brought me to Capsule Corp, and you've become stronger than I can even fathom. And you have so much more room to grow."

"You're just as strong as I am right now." Martin replied. "And you may not have physically grown because you have an Android's body, but you've learned so much as a person. You may hate humanity, but you've become more human than any of the others. You're the finest human being I know, Thirteen."

The two smiled at each other as they began to push back against Hotokira even harder. Dominick could see the disk in the sky rising toward the Black Sclera. He could also now stand steadily. "They're pushing him back..!" He said to himself. That was more of a self-assurance. He was trying to get rid of the uneasy feeling deep in his gut. Then, he thought of an idea of how he could finally help the two of them. Even if he could barely muster enough energy to shoot a pea blast, just a slight distraction would be enough for them to finish the job. He concentrated with all of his might and all he could manifest was a yellow energy ball about the size of a tennis ball, but it was enough for him. He threw it full force at Hotokira, but just after it left his possession, the purple lightning cloud dissipated and the man who was responsible for it was also nowhere to be found. Dominick fell to his knees. "Shit...that may not have been a good idea."

Martin and Thirteen also let their blasts disappear once they felt the pressure let up. When they saw nothing in the sky, they started searching around for Hotokira's power level. He could be anywhere, and he was too dangerous for them to let him out of sight. He then appeared behind Dominick with a sword in his hand. He stabbed him in his right arm, just above the elbow, rendering that arm completely useless. Dominick fell to the ground screaming in pain and holding his elbow with his left arm.

The other two instantly looked over and saw Dominick on the floor. "Oh no you don't!" Martin shouted as he and the android rushed over to help him.

"I can't have you running off. I keep telling you that." Hotokira said.

Martin performed a series of quick steps and got around to the back of Hotokira. However, the Black Sclera had already turned around to meet him as if he could see the future. He slashed Martin across the chest, causing him to stumble backward. "You bastard...how did you get your sword back? Thirteen destroyed it." He said.

"Well I seem to remember a certain kid nonchalantly dropping his sword on the shoreline when he was fighting his brother." It was Dominick's sword. He was so quick, he had gone all the way to the shore, picked up the sword, and come all the way back without any of them even noticing.

"Damn it…" Dominick grumbled. "I'm sorry, guys."

Hotokira then turned around and grabbed Thirteen's fist which was only inches from his face. "You guys must have expended too much energy in those blasts just now." He said. "You both seem very sluggish, and I can read through all of your movements." He pulled the fist in toward his body and ran his sword through the android's heart. Thirteen's face contorted with pain.

"NO!" Martin yelled and tried to attack him again from behind, but Hotokira sent him flying with a back hook kick to the upper oblique. He turned back to Thirteen.

"Stop." Dominick was holding his finger to his wrist with all the energy he had let concentrated into that finger. "If you continue, I'll kill myself right here. You want me alive, right? Leave them alone."

Hotokira looked down at him and smiled. "What do you hope to gain from this? Even if I stop here and just take your body now, I will end up killing them anyway. That's assuming they don't interfere beforehand." He said. "And if you die, that is but a minor inconvenience. I will also be transported to the afterlife since our lives are linked, and I will just complete my task there. Hangyaku holds power far above the Realm of Dimension, so death is not that big of a deal to him." Dominick scowled at the Black Sclera. "All of this is also assuming you have the will to actually kill yourself." Dominick didn't say anything. "That's what I thought." Hotokira said.

He threw the android back out by the fist and he fell to the ground. With a deep shout, Hotokira summoned a great amount of energy to the tip of his sword and it combined with the purple shroud around it. In a huge energy blast, it engulfed Thirteen's entire body. All that was left was a crater the size of a house, a few scraps, and some burnt wires. His body had been instantly incinerated.

Dominick readied himself through tears to pierce the artery in his wrist when Martin suddenly blurred right by him. His eyes were glowing golden once again. He swung his fist hard at Hotokira's face, but he brushed it downward and gave Martin a hard uppercut, reversing his momentum. Martin was going to land on his feet, but Hotokira rushed up to him and swept them to the left with his right foot just before they touched the ground. He then took his left knee and drove it up into the side of Martin's neck. Dominick thought he heard a crunching sound.

"You aren't nearly as strong as you were after Dalton died." The Black Sclera said calmly. Martin stood up slowly. Once he was up, he abruptly turned around and swung at Hotokira again. This time, Dominick saw a white blur go between the two of them, and Martin's left arm below the bicep fell to the floor. It was strange because there was little blood, since the hot blade instantly cauterized the wound. Martin fell to his knees, grabbing his left arm. Hotokira nonchalantly walked behind him, planted his foot in his back, and pressed his chest into the ground. He began screaming in pain.

"STOP THIS!" Dominick yelled as he got up to his knees. He could feel his body heating up. In fact, it felt like his insides were burning.

"Dominick, stop-AAAAAAAAGGH!" Martin yelled. "You're using...your life energy!"

"But I have to help you, Martin!" Dominick protested. Hotokira lifted his foot and stomped harder. Martin screamed louder. Then, he lifted his right arm above his head toward Dominick, and suddenly Dominick felt a refreshing rush of energy. Martin was giving him his own energy. "Stop it, Martin, you need that energy!"

"You...need it...more than I do…" He managed. He started coughing blood until his chin was almost covered in it.

"Woah, none of that." Hotokira realized what Martin was doing. "I need Dominick to have as little energy as possible." He brought his sword down on Martin's upper back. He gritted his teeth as it went deeper, then he suddenly found it remarkably hard to breathe. The sword had punctured his lung. His Super Saiyan 5 form faded away.

"I can't...breathe…" Martin stammered. "I'm sorry...I couldn't...come through." He coughed up more blood, wincing in pain with every strained breath. "Damn it...I can't...even...keep...my eyes...open anymore. I don't...have long. I need you...to take...what...I have left...and...finish this. Don't...let him...win."

Dominick felt the energy flowing into him finally taper off and watched Martin's head hit the ground. He stood up. He felt like he had been born anew, but in reality the energy he received was nowhere enough to even turn into a Super Saiyan. "I'll do it. I will absolutely find a way to end this." He looked down as Martin's body faded from view.

"How inspirational." Hotokira said sarcastically. "You forget that all I have to do is make you lose consciousness."

"And you forget," Dominick started, "that us fighters tend to die before we lose consciousness."

"If I kill you, then so be it." He rushed at Dominick so fast that he temporarily disappeared from his vision. Dominick felt the sword slash across his back. He couldn't even fight back. As he just stood there trying to keep up with Hotokira's movements, the slashes on his body were increasing at a worrying rate.

 _Damn! How am I supposed to fight him if I can't even stand up?! I'm starting to get dizzy as well._ His thoughts were racing. _I have to think about my rage. Martin, Dalton, and Thirteen are all dead!_

He suddenly heard a voice in his head. _No, you must empty your mind to be able to see clearly._ That voice was familiar. He hadn't heard it in so long, but it held so much nostalgia.

 _Dad?_

 _Dalton already learned how to do this, and I know you can too._

 _Dalton?_ What was he talking about? Then it came to him. Mystic Form. The form that Dalton achieved almost five years ago, and that their ancestor Gohan achieved 200 years before that. That's right. Even if he was able to attain a slight amount of that enlightenment, then he could have a chance.

 _Didn't Gogito already teach you how to clear your mind? And you've done your fair share of meditating at the Kai's world._

 _How do you know all of this?_

 _I've been watching over you this whole time. Even if I don't exist in Otherworld anymore, the remnants of my conscious are still genuine. And one more thing. I know it's been weighing on you all this time, so I'll take it off of your shoulders. My passing wasn't your fault. Nor was it the fault of the Black Sclera. The person who is responsible...you will eventually find for yourself. But first, you must win now._

Dominick brought himself back to reality. He still saw nothing, and the cuts were making his body numb. _Yeah, Dad. I'll win here. Then I'll find the one responsible for your death. Then...I will find_ you. He closed his eyes again and time seemed to slow. Eventually, he saw white blurs that he could keep track of. It had to be the sword. But why could he keep track of the sword and not Hotokira? Suddenly, the sword came down right in front of him. Without giving it a second thought, he grabbed the blade with his bare hand. It didn't hurt at all. Even with the blood running down his forearm and the steam rising from the contact point, he felt no pain. Instead he felt a strange tingling sensation as the light left the sword and entered his body. Suddenly, the world was completely white.

He was alone. Even Hotokira was gone. But somehow, he instantly knew exactly where he was. It felt like home.

"You are in trouble, are you not?" A very familiar voice said. "This is the first time you have entered this world without me bringing you here." A white silhouette was standing in front of him. He could hardly tell the being from the background, but he knew it was the same silhouette as the black one that existed inside his subconscious when it was all black.

"So? Are you going to tell me your name, then?"

"No, you have yet to discover who I truly am."

"That's because you won't tell me! You live in my sword, right? That has to be it. You're always talking about light, and then my sword starts shining."

The figure shook its head. "You have a long way to go."

Dominick squeezed his fists. "Who's side are you on anyway? Aren't you supposed to help me like you said?"

"That is a complicated question. The person you see now is on your side only. However, a part of me thought that Hotokira would benefit us more. So when the two of you split apart, that part of me stuck with him. As for helping you, that is incorrect. You and I are supposed to work as one to achieve greater power. I did not spend a thousand years as a nonphysical entity seeking out a slave owner."

Dominick loosened his fist. "Why are you on my side, anyway?"

"Dominick, I have watched over you from the moment you were born. I knew immediately we were destined to be as one. I saw your importance, and took it upon myself to foster your power. No matter how strong my greed becomes, it will never override my original purpose: to stand by the warrior who will save the Omniverse. But until you properly learn how to use my power, I am very limited in what I can do."

"But listen. I don't really understand all of this yet, but if the Black Sclera takes over my body, it's likely that your greed will take over yours." Dominick held out his hand to the white figure. "Please. I need your help."

The silhouette sighed. "I knew as soon as you entered this world, I would be making an exception. Very well. I shall lend you some of my power." He walked up to Dominick and shook his hand. Then, he let go and turned his palm upright. "Now-" The white world began to rumble and started fading to blackness. "You must hurry. That this world is fading is a sign that you are losing your life force." Dominick's sword materialized in the white figure's hand. "Now, pick me up. Finish this. With the amount of power I am lending you, it will be possible to do it in just one strike, but the power will not last long. Hurry! Pick me up!"

As Dominick wrapped his fingers around the hilt, his eyes widened. "Wait, you don't live _in_ my sword, do you? You _are-_ "

"...Dominick!" A voice called. It was another familiar voice.

He looked around. "Ichimei?"

"DOMINICK!" The white world shattered as if broken by Ichimei's very voice.


	42. The End of the Beginning

_Chapter XLII : The End of the Beginning_

Dominick truly had no idea how to react to the situation at hand. He'd just come out of a completely white world and his vision was still adjusting. There were three people where the voice had come from, and he knew one of them was ichimei, but he didn't know who the other two were. It seemed like time was standing still. As his vision cleared up, he realized that Hotokira was in the exact same position as he was before. Almost no time had passed while he was in the white world. Hotokira looked just as confused as he did, even aside from the shock of Dominick catching the sword.

Suddenly, he heard Nagashi's voice. "DOMINICK, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! ATTACK HIM!"

Dominick looked down and was surprised to see that he was actually holding his sword. And what was more was that Hotokira's hands were empty. Both of them snapped out of their daze at the same time.

"WHAT?!" Hotokira yelled. He instinctively jumped back and filled his hands with purple clouds.

Dominick felt a strange energy coursing through him. It was different than anything he'd felt before. He knew he had extremely little of his own energy left. This had to be it. The blue goo-like aura engulfed his sword, then surrounded his entire being. Then, his insides started burning again. He had to push through it. He had to finish it.

Hotokira lunged at him. "Don't think this changes anything!" He bellowed.

Dominick cried out as he poured all of his energy, including the new energy, into the blade. It seemed to get really heavy. It seemed like it was going to break and spill all of the energy out. With all of his might, he swung with a grunt that sounded more like a yell. A huge sheet of the white light spewed out of the edge of the sword like a flattened energy blast. Dominick carried the swing all the way through, and the sheet of light extended all the way to the ocean.

Hotokira fired his cloud energy at the sheet of light, but it sliced right through them without even slowing down. He went to dodge, but dodging light proved to be futile. It hit his lower abdomen, slicing him clean in two. His mouth hung open as his legs and upper body separated. Then, he gritted his teeth and click his tongue in anger. _Damn...who knew there were still things I didn't know about that sword...he had me beat._ He showed little pain on his face. His two halves then both took on a purple hue and started to lose solidity. He continued to lose his shape until he was just two purple clouds that dissipated in the wind. He was gone.

Dominick dropped his sword and fell on his back. He could hardly breathe, his body was burning so bad. However, he was able to manage one last shout: "IT'S OVER!"

Ichimei sprinted over to him to see tears streaming down his face. She sat down and lifted his head onto her lap. "You did it…" She said. "I'm so happy for you."

"I couldn't...keep...my promise…" He said. "Dalton, Martin, Thirteen...They all died."

She covered her mouth. _All of them?_

"I'm so pathetic...I spent all my energy...fighting my own brother...and couldn't save anyone else…" He muttered. "He was so strong...my little brother...was so strong...I'm responsible...for all of their deaths…" Ichimei motioned for him to come up and hug her. He couldn't move. She lifted up his cut up body and turned it around, resting his head just above her breast. "Ichimei...we have to...find...the Dragon Balls."

She nodded. "We'll find them. We'll bring everyone back."

Jishako and Nagashi, who let Ichimei run ahead of them so she could talk to Dominick first, decided it was a good time to walk over to them. They were stopped by a man in a red jacket. His silver hair hung down to his shoulders and almost wanted to blend in with his pale skin. Thirteen was back. "I got lucky," he muttered to himself, "that blast left a couple fragments of my flesh intact. Although, my wires were all burnt to a crisp. I may never be able to fight again." Then he looked at Nagashi and Jishako, who vaguely recognized him. "Let them be alone for a little while longer."

Ichimei stroked Dominick's hair. She was horrified when she looked over his shoulder and saw his burnt back. "Ichimei...you saved me, again."

"Saved you? I'm the one who put you in this mess when I triggered the split between you and the Black Sclera."

"It...was that...or he completely...took over my conscious...that was the...only path...where I came out...alive." He said. "If it wasn't...for you...I would have died...a long time ago." She hugged him tighter. He clutched her shirt and buried his face in her shoulder. "I...want to marry you." He felt her heartbeat start rising. "I know...we're only nineteen...so we can wait...but I just needed...to get that off my chest. I've been...thinking about it...for a long time."

"I don't…" She started. "I don't want to wait."

Dominick let out a long exhale. "That...makes me...so happy…" He started sliding down her body. He had no control of his own body, so she had to hold him in place. She pulled him back up. "I love you...so much...more than anything."

"Yeah...me too. I love you with all my heart."

"Bro, did you just propose?" Jishako peeked out from behind Ichimei. Nagashi walked up behind him.

"Sorry, I tried to stop them." Thirteen said as he limped up last.

"Thirteen...you're alive…" Dominick looked up, resting his head on Ichimei's shoulder. "I'm so glad…"

Thirteen waved at him. "Congratulations. You beat him."

Dominick let out a forced chuckle that sounded more like a cough.

"So, did she say yes?" Jishako pried. Ichimei blushed and Dominick nodded. Jishako jumped in the air, clicked his heels, and high fived Nagashi. He was ecstatic. Thirteen looked at Dominick and gave Jishako a look of pity. Nagashi did too.

"I'm so...tired." He muttered. His eyes became droopy. Ichimei held him tighter. "Thank you guys...for being here...I love you all...so much…" He felt Ichimei's tears hitting his back. Her warmth was so comfortable. It was so familiar, so calming. He loved her so much. "Thank...you…" He didn't mind that loving warmth being the last thing he felt.

His body slowly faded. Her arms fell to her lap. She sat still for a while. The smile faded off of Jishako's face. She stood up and turned around. She tried to force a smile as she walked over to them. Nagashi put a hand on her head. "It's okay to cry." He said. She buried her head in his shirt.

Thirteen fell to the ground. Jishako looked over at him. "Damn, are you alright?"

"It is worse than I thought." He said. "I don't think I will be able to stand anymore."

Suddenly a car went flying off the road and barreled towards them. It skidded to a stop right beside Thirteen. There was only one person in all of West City that drove this bad. Chonie hopped out of the car and ran over to Thirteen. "Oh, Thirteen, what happened to you?" She said.

"Chonie, what are you doing here?" He asked. "How did you find us?"

"I saw that white light earlier and figured you had something to do with it." She said. "Forget that, are you okay?"

"I'm fine...I just can't move very much." She began picking him up. The boys were astonished that she could do so by herself. "Chonie...I'm so sorry."

"Don't apologize. All that matters is that we get you back to Capsule Corp and get you fixed up." She replied. She set him down in the passenger seat, then ran around to the driver's seat. Then, she rolled down the passenger window and leaned over the center console. "Do you guys need a ride back?"

Nagashi shook his head. "Thank you, though." With that, she sped off back into the city. The three of them were alone in the desert. The three of them had been Dominick's friends since before anyone else. Anything they went through, they went through it together. "Ichimei." He said after a while. "I'm going to start collecting the Dragon Balls. Come with me if you want. I'll do it by myself if I had to."

Jishako put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I think we'd all do it alone if we had to."

Ichimei nodded. "But we don't have to." The three of them began walking back to the city. As they started passing the first gas stations and the road became more defined, Ichimei looked back to the desert that had been massively tainted in the huge fight that went down there. She thought she saw someone standing alone in the desert, but upon taking a second look, she saw no one. She didn't turn around again.

Hangyaku watched them walk off from high in the sky. "I don't think anyone would have guessed that this was how it ended." He said to himself. "Well, I guess it never really ends. The plan will still continue regardless." He held his palm up and a little purple cloud appeared in it. Then, he sighed. "Either way, Rinjiko is probably going to be pissed at me." Then he disappeared.

* * *

Dominick was expecting to appear in King Yemma's place with Kibito Kai, but he was there alone.

"Good, you made it." King Yemma said cheerfully. Dominick had heard he was massive, but seeing him in person was a completely different story. He sat behind a giant desk, which was a normal size for him, but it was about twenty times Dominick's height.

"Where's Kibito Kai? Or Dende?" Dominick asked. "I figured one of them brought me here."

He laughed. "I guess I beat them to the punch. I was the one who brought you here."

"You can do that?" Dominick asked.

"Well, I am the gatekeeper of the Otherworld. Why wouldn't I be able to bring you here myself?"

Dominick nodded. "I guess that makes sense." Then his face got serious. "Did Dalton and Martin come through here?"

"Oh, of course." King Yemma replied. "I sent them straight to Grand Kai's world. I'm planning to send you there as well."

Dominick got excited. He wanted to go to Grand Kai's world as well. He wanted to be able to train with the other amazing fighters of the Universe. But he knew he couldn't. "With all due respect, King Yemma, I can't stay in Otherworld for long. The longer I stay, the longer I leave my mother and fiance alone." It felt good to say that.

"I'm sorry, Dominick, but I must ask you to stay and go to Grand Kai's world." King yemma said with a grim face. "You see, we may need the help of you three. A couple very important people in Otherworld have disappeared recently."

Dominick's eyebrows fell into a knot. "One of them was…"

"One of them was your father."

Dominick had to think long and hard about this. On one hand, he would be abandoning his mom and Ichimei, but he wouldn't get another chance like this to find his father. "Will I be able to visit my family?"

King Yemma suddenly smiled. "Of course, in return for your help, I will be able to arrange for frequent visits with you loved ones."

Dominick exhaled after hearing that. "I'll do it, then."

"I'm glad to hear that. I'll prepare your ride over there." As he said that, he picked up his giant phone and started dialing.

Then, Kibito Kai showed up. Everyone froze and bowed to him. "You've decided to go over there, then?"

"Yeah." Dominick replied.

"Follow me, I'll take you to your ride." He said. "Yemma, the ride will be ready by the time we get there, right?"

He set the phone down. "Of course. Thank you, Kibito Kai."

The two of them walked out the door on the left. Otherworld looked so magical, with fluffy yellow clouds below them and a pink sky above. They went out on a road that split. The left road led to a house. On the other side of the house, Dominick could see Snake Way. They took the right path and there was a little red helicopter big enough for one person and the pilot.

"By the way, Kibito Kai, do you know if Gogito ever came through here? King Yemma didn't mention him." Dominick inquired.

"He didn't come through." He replied. "I don't know what happened to him, I talked to Yemma about it earlier, and he suspected that since he was four people in one, and two were from a different timeline than the other two, he split apart upon dying and the two went back to their own timelines."

Dominick nodded his head, disappointed. "I see." Then he lifted his head. "He probably wouldn't have let us wish him back, anyway."

"We're here." Kibito Kai suddenly said. The helicopter door opened. "I know you have a mission, but you'll find Grand Kai's world to be very fun."

Dominick smiled and nodded at Kibito Kai as he climbed into the helicopter. That's right. He had screamed that it was over earlier, but that was wrong. Sure, it was the end of a certain phase of his life, but this new phase was only beginning, and it would prove to be even more trying than the last.

 _Continued in Dragon Ball Next Generations Part II_


End file.
